


A Single Blue Rose

by bluephosphor



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: A bit of a different take on Another Story, And Rika does not HAVE to be forgiven, And more realism, Angst, Another Story but more romance, Because V and Ray deserve better, Because love does NOT solve all your problems, M/M, Male MC fic, essentially a fix-it fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:40:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 47,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22334311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluephosphor/pseuds/bluephosphor
Summary: A single coffee shop encounter turning into a full-blown kidnapping wasn’t what Min-ho has in mind when deciding to make a new friend. Trapped with no hope of escape, he’s forced to aid a cult in infiltrating a charity group with seemingly good intentions. The RFA is his only hope to escape, but how could he come to trust them when Min-ho was forced to join? And how could Min-ho gain their trust when he was part of the very problem they were trying to solve?
Relationships: Choi Saeran/Main Character, V | Kim Jihyun/Main Character
Comments: 30
Kudos: 72





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sure most of us reading Ray and V’s routes had similar thoughts. There was a lack in of romance in V’s route, and there was a lack of satisfaction and V himself in his after ending.
> 
> Saeran’s problems were solved much too easily by the power of love compared to the two years it took in V’s route. There should’ve been a better balance.
> 
> Therefore I aim to rewrite this in a way I personally feel just flows better and is more realistic with a good amount of romance. I hope you enjoy! ^^

The place was packed to the brim, all condensed into one tiny dining space. Practically overflowing with people, Min-ho could hardly understand why so many people constantly made their way in and out.

Granted, it was downtown, surrounded by businesses and big names stores. It stood out from the crowd with its calm, retro-feel, and drew in anyone looking for a good coffee. It’s unique air brought in a heavy amount of traffic on busy days.

Just getting a seat was a miracle in and of itself. People squished into every feasible corner of the cafe and crowded the small tables outside, leaving no room for new-comers. Min-ho resorted to planning a strategy since the cafe was never _not_ full. It was simple. Pretend to chill by the pick-up counter, look unsuspecting, then snatch up a seat the second someone finished their meal and looked to be in a hurry.

He received some dirty looks, but the free seat was more than worth it. The workers hardly cared. He was a regular, and practically knew every barista by name. They had enough on their plate with rush hour. ...Which was every hour.

The cafe was one of the only places he could get work done. He loved his housemate, but damn if that didn’t know how to bother him in every way humanely possible. Min-ho supposed that theoretically, the cafe was louder, but at least he didn’t have someone pestering him to try a new meal or watch them perform some crazy stunt every two seconds.

Taking a sip of his iced-coffee, he opened his laptop and pulled out his drawing tablet, continuing to work on an ongoing design. A school project, creating an ‘original’ logo using the methods they’ve been studying. The methods weren’t really his style, but they could be useful when he ran out of ideas. And he needed to keep a _lot_ of ideas on hand. Juggling a full-time job and college meant that he had to spit them out left and right, praying that they were as high-quality as they got. Especially this one, since it was his big project of the quarter.

The design in question wasn’t bad... but he felt like something was missing. The made up company he designed for made party supplies... So shouldn’t there be more flare? The plain swirls of color surrounding the company name didn’t work for him. Pastel would look nice, but it was really overused...

“Hmm... Don’t you think a mint-colored line would look nice here? Oh, but you don’t have to take my advice, I don’t really know about this stuff,” A person suddenly spoke, startling Min-ho. He glanced up, meeting a cute guy with shaggy bleached hair and mint-colored eyes. He was relatively pale, almost sickly so. He looked even more tired than half the people in Min-ho’s classes.

“Bright colors like that are used pretty often though. Maybe if I...” Min-ho sighed, fiddling with his drawing pen a bit before he went back into the design, erasing and redrawing lines with light, triad colors. If he made the name itself stand out rather than the design surrounding it...

“Wow, you work so quick, I’m impressed! Oh, sorry. Am I bothering you? I tend to do that a lot... Sorry...” The guy stepped away, but Min-ho waved him back over. The kid looked harmless enough, and just about every other seat in the cafè was taken. The way he stood stiffly holding his coffee suggested that he wanted to find a seat, but couldn’t.

“This seat’s empty, y’know.” Min-ho flashed the guy a charming smile, who stammered an awkward ‘thank you’ before sitting across from him. He poked at his cup a little before nervously meeting Min-ho’s eyes.

“Um... it’s nice to meet you. I’m Ray.” Ray’s shoulders relaxed a bit as he introduced himself, smiling all the while. Min-ho nodded, adjusting his glasses before introducing himself as well.

“Min-ho, nice to meet you too.” Min-ho shook Ray’s hand over the table. Ray leaned forward, a sparkle in his eye as he began taking with vigor.

“What a logo. Is it for college? A job?” Normally Min-ho would be a bit weirded out by such enthusiasm, but the guy looked so cute that Min-ho just had to give in.

“This one’s for college. I‘ve got a job too but... One thing at a time, y’know? It’s nice to pretend my schedule isn’t absolute hell sometimes,” Min-ho chuckled, and Ray nodded with a happy smile, totally taken in by the average story. What the kid was so peppy about, Min-ho had no clue, but it was refreshing.

“Wow... I’m just a game developer. I do some computer work too. Drawing seems like a lot of fun, though! I wish I could draw...” Ray’s bright enthusiasm fizzled in second. Min-ho bit back a chuckle and patted Ray’s hand in sympathy.

“Aww, cheer up. Skill only improves with practice. Give it a shot sometime.” Ray quietly met Min-ho’s eyes, who smiled reassuringly. Ray slowly nodded, leaning his elbows on the table as he sipped his hot coffee.

“It seems so hard though. I dunno... I’m not really creative. I’ve been told it’s better to just do as I’m told. My ideas don’t really matter,” Ray spoke, staring down his light brown drink. Min-ho could subtly relate. Sometimes people hated when he took his own creative liberty instead of heeding their advice to a T.

“Just listening all the time’s a pretty sad way to live life. Sometimes things turn out better when you suggest your own ideas.” Min-ho’s eyes drifted back to his unfinished design. Yeah, if he wasn’t willing to take risks and put his own creative prowess into his work, he wouldn’t be as valuable of a team member as he was. The occasional backfire didn’t compare to his accomplishments.

“Even if they’re shut down and hated? Even if it makes people not like you...?” Ray tilted his head curiously, while Min-ho let out a nervous chuckle. What kind of environment has this kid been living in? Controlling parents? Lover? Jerk boss and colleagues? His self-esteem was practically non-existent.

“If they don’t appreciate your talents, I say go somewhere or to someone who does,” Min-ho commented idly, noticing how Ray seemed to perk up a little at that.

“I see...” Ray closed his eyes, falling into quiet thought. “Oh! I have to get going.” Ray glanced at his phone before suddenly standing up, nearly knocking over both his and Min-ho’s coffee. “But um... it was nice talking to you. I... I hope I can see you again! I want to...”

“Haha, thanks, handsome. See ya.” Min-ho winked and waved, causing Ray to turn bright red before scurrying away with his coffee. How cute.

“Alright! Back to it,” Min-ho whispered to himself, turning back to his laptop and grabbing his tablet. He was stuck before, but now ideas were practically flowing. The colors and designs came right to him.

A touch of mint, a mix of light reddish-purple, almost magenta, and some white to top it all off. Pretty speckled dots to resemble confetti and a few pretty lines later, he stared at his finished concept design.

All he could see in it was that cute, tired-looking boy. What made him approach Min-ho? Did Min-ho look approachable? Was it the glasses? They made him look like a nerd, according to his friends.

Still, the bout of inspiration was nice.

Standing up with a drag of his chair, Min-ho gathered his supplies into a bag he slung over his shoulder. Waving to the cute barista at the counter, he made his way out the coffee shop with a pep in his step.

Part of him wanted to see Ray again too.

* * *

“I know you like coffee, but every day? Try drinking some water for a change.” Joshua glared at Min-ho from the couch, resting in a comfy-looking position.

He spoke in English, as he originally came from England. It was easier for he and Min-ho to room together since they were both fluent, though Min-ho had an American accent.

“I drink it when I get home because you pester me everyday,” Min-ho laughed, giving Joshua a light pat on the head, who turned his head stubbornly.

“Yeah, for like the two seconds you’re home. It’s like I don’t even have a flatmate. Why do you even live here? Come home for once,” Joshua mocked, reaching a dark arm out to grab at Min-ho, who easily dodged.

“Sure thing. If you greet me in an apron and put on a show,” Min-ho teased, while Joshua sent him a testing look.

“Why should I? It’s not like you’d choose me over a dinner or bath.” Joshua stuck out a tongue, and Min-ho couldn’t hold in his bark of laugher, shaking his head.

“Guess not. I’m a food guy,” Min-ho easily agreed, enjoying the annoyance that flicked across Joshua’s face. His poor, fragile pride. Shattered.

“Anyway, I’m cooking up a meal tonight. Return early, yeah? You’re my obligatory taste tester.” Joshua mock glared at Min-ho, who gave an informal salute.

“Yes sir. I’ll see you later.” With a wink and grin, Min-ho made his way out the house, strolling down the quiet street.

The cafè was about a thirty minute walk, but it was a good way to get his daily exercise in. With all the sweets he consumed, he had to burn off the calories somehow. Not to mention the scenery was really pretty. His neighborhood was at a dead end, so you didn’t see many people driving by. The houses themselves were nice and a lot of people grew pretty gardens. Min-ho really felt he and Joshua hit the jackpot there.

After a long, long walk, Min-ho finally arrived at his destination downtown, Sweet Crème. The line wasn’t too long, thank god, and after a short wait, he got his coffee, this time hot. He scanned the tables quietly, his hope in finding a free one diminished in an instant. His eyes did manage to land upon one though, where the cute guy from the day before sat. His eyes were glued to his phone, typing relentlessly.

Maybe he’d let Min-ho sit...?

Curious, Min-ho approached Ray, who typed up a bit more before finally looking up and meeting Min-ho’s eyes.

His face lit up instantly.

“Min-ho! Hi! You come here a lot?” Ray tilted his head while gesturing to the seat in front of him, which Min-ho glady took. Ray looked genuinely curious, tilting his head like a confused puppy.

“Yeah, I’m a regular. The place has pretty good coffee. Plus I can work here.” Min-ho sipped his, watching Ray, who seemed to almost vibrate with excitement. Was he that excited to see Min-ho? Was he just generally hyper?

“Really? I came here because the coffee was really good, but if I get to see you everyday, I might come more often,” Ray chuckled and tilted his head, the playful comment earning a smile from Min-ho.

“By all means, do. You inspired me last time, so I kinda owe you one,” Min-ho admitted, searching through his bag for his work and drawing supplies. He placed a notepad on the table before pulling out his laptop and other necessities.

“Really? Me...? You mean the mint-suggestion?” Ray raised an eyebrow hesitantly, so Min-ho nodded to quell his uncertainty.

“Yeah. It actually helped me finish up the whole thing. See?” Min-ho pulled up the finished design on his laptop and turned it towards Ray, who studied it closely.

“It looks really good! I don’t know anything about logos, but I’d buy from that company,” Ray nodded to himself while speaking, and Min-ho couldn’t help the little laugh that escaped him. What a cute compliment.

“Thank you.” He gave Ray a grateful smile before turning his laptop back towards him. He pulled up a page he made for work, which showed a variety of fashion trends popular among different genders and age groups. Surveys were, of course, used, but being in college, he had a good idea on what college kids his age wore.

“What’re you doing this time?” Ray tilted his head, attempting to peek at Min-ho’s work. Min-ho quietly shoo’d him away.

“No looking. It’s work, and fashion can be real scary. Even sharing a reference can spell disaster if someone steals an idea,” Min-ho calmly explained, all while drawing a bunch of little people to be used as models. Ray looked disappointed, but nodded solemnly.

“Okay... So you do fashion?” Ray quickly changed the subject, fiddling with his unzipped hoodie as he inquired on Min-ho’s profession.

“Mhm. Graphic designer. The company does a million different things, but its fashion division is pretty cool, and big.” Min-ho explained, keeping an eye on his drawing all the while. Ray didn’t seem too bothered by not having Min-ho’s full attention. He still looked as bubbly as ever.

“Hehe, I’m learning so much about you. It... makes me happy,” Ray sighed in a happy daze, and Min-ho could feel a heart-felt smile tug on his lips. He didn’t know Ray all that well, but he seemed to really enjoy Min-ho’s company. Maybe Min-ho should take the initiative and invite him to hang out again...?

“That so? I still don’t know much about you though.” Min-ho paused to flash Ray a challenging look. Ray looked momentarily shocked, but responded sincerely.

“Um... I’m uh... I’m 21 and work for my sa—... my boss. There’s nothing interesting about me,” Ray laughed weakly, shrinking down in his seat. The kid looked like a nervous wreak, but Min-ho really, really wanted to pry.

“No way that’s it. C’mon, tell me. Don’t be shy.” Min-ho offered the most gentle, encouraging smile he could. Though he was pushing, Ray seemed to relax when he saw that Min-ho was ready to wait. After a long, heavy pause, Ray let out a squeak.

“...ers...”

“Hmm?”

“I-I really like flowers. All kinds. Even weeds, because they’re resilient,” Ray stuttered, but managed to get the words out. Flowers, huh?

“Do you own a garden? Do you like taking care of them?”

Ray was still a ball of nerves, but Min-ho was pretty sure his patience helped to calm the poor kid. He tugged on his jacket self-cautiously but still met Min-ho’s soft gaze. His cheeks flared up, but he still forced out a few words.

“I-I kinda do. I don’t get to take care of them, though... I want to ask if I can, but I don’t think I deserve to... And I don’t have the time...” Ray quietly explained, so quiet, that Min-ho had to lean forward to make out his words. He didn’t really get the situation, so his advice might not be the best.

“I think you should do whatever makes you happy,” Min-ho decided, watching as Ray flinched just a little bit at those words.

...Did he say the wrong thing?

“Being with you makes me happy,” Ray added suddenly, catching Min-ho off guard. Min-ho nearly choked on the coffee he had been sipping, trying to come up with a smooth comeback on the spot.

“Well, uh...”

How the hell was he supposed to respond to that?

“I wish I could make you as happy as you make me. Could I? Or would I just annoy you...?” Although Ray was referring to Min-ho, he spoke to himself. Min-ho was still at a loss for words.

“Ah, I’m late! I um... I want to hang out sometime, Min-ho! I want to take you to a place you’ll really like. But I can’t right now so...” Ray sighed, forcing himself to release his death grip on his jacket sleeve. “Could we maybe hang out at my place sometime? I’m not looking for anything weird, I swear! I just have this new game, and I’d... like you to test it. You could catch design errors, right?”

“Huh?” Min-ho didn’t expect the home invitation so suddenly, but with how much of a wreak Ray was, Min-ho doubted the kid could initiate anything even if he wanted to. He looked sincere, just scared of rejection.

“If you don’t want to—“

“No, it’s fine,” Min-ho cut in, shaking his head. “Sure. I’m busy during the week, so does the weekend work? I’ll give you my number...”

“R-Really? Thank you! I mean, yeah! I’ll um, text you! Or call you. Whatever works...” Ray and Min-ho awkwardly exchanged numbers before Ray bid Min-ho farewell. He rushed out of the coffee shop like his life depended on it, while Min-ho sat back in his seat.

Planning a mock home date with the cute guy from the coffee shop? Damn if Min-ho didn’t have the best of luck. Maybe he should play the lottery. Laughing to himself, pulled his tablet to him, staring hard at the laptop.

None of the designs really suited Ray. He had this weird boyish, yet formal charm to him. At the same time, he had this weird kinda nervous edge too. The kid was both easy and impossible to read. Clothing choice reflects character. Though Min-ho’s designs suited a variety of people, including himself, none seemed to suit the enigma that was Ray.

Ray’s current clothes didn’t seem to suit him at all either.

Nor did yesterday’s.

With those thoughts lingering in the back of his mind, Min-ho continued on the reference, letting the rowdy atmosphere of the shop envelop him.

* * *

“Here, huh...?” Min-ho raised a brow, glancing at his phone just to make sure he got the right address. It was an apartment, nice-looking with a fresh new feel to it. Ray had mentioned that he’d come out once Min-ho shot him a text, so he did just that. After a bit, the door knob jiggled and Ray quietly opened the door.

“You’re here, hi.” Ray gave Min-ho a bright, if not nervous smile. Min-ho smiled back and waved, before Ray stepped back with the door open.

“Please, come in.” Min-ho heeded Ray’s words and stepped into the tiny apartment. It was pretty nice, a warm feel to it with a blue—yellow scheme. It looked very work-ish, and not at all lived in. Min-ho would’ve taken Ray for an avid decorator, but... the place didn’t have even a touch of personality.

“Hmm... Nice place. A work apartment?” Min-ho raised an eyebrow, to which Ray stared blankly at before nodding.

“Y-Yeah. I have a lot of equipment I need, but I can’t fit it in my place. So I create my games here,” said Ray, gesturing to the computer and the variety of cabinet files. Huh, Min-ho never knew it was such a strenuous task. He should give more credit to the people who made mobile and computer games.

“Um... I can get you something to drink, if you’d like? It’s a mobile game, so we can download it after...” Ray, though nervous, now stood straight up, very formal. It seemed to keep him from messing with clothing like in the coffee shop.

“Um... sure. Got any water?”

“Hmm... Think so. I’ll be right back.” Ray left through the hall to what was probably a kitchen. Min-ho, meanwhile, sat on the edge of the bed. The place itself was tidy, though dust specked some corners. Odd, for how clean it was.

How much did a game developer need to create, anyway? Was Ray a budding one, or genuinely a good one? Min-ho was curious...

“I’m sorry, there’s no water, and I didn’t think you’d want tap... I have some fruit juice instead.” Ray held out the cup with a tensed up face, as if he expected Min-ho to scold him or something.

“It’s cool, thanks.” Min-ho flashed Ray his signature smile to set him at ease. Ray pulled out his phone to type up something—wow his fingers were fast—while Min-ho took a sip of the fruit juice.

It was good. He hummed, watching Ray type with astounding speed. After a moment, he set down his phone and met Min-ho’s eyes.

“So, about the game...” Ray began, but the words were hard to make out.

...

Min-ho felt a bit woozy. Did he drink too much? Was there some allergy he was unaware of? He got enough sleep, he thought. But Ray’s words warped in his mind and meshed together into something ineligible. His face became blurry, and Min-ho was pretty sure he could feel his body sway.

“...rry... ..ho...”

“Ray...” Min-ho weakly uttered, fighting the urge to fall asleep with every fiber of his being. But his body wouldn’t listen, and he felt it tilt forward, off the bed.

He... was drugged, wasn’t he?

_Ray... you..._

When his body hit the wooden floor, he lost consciousness.

* * *

.

..

. . .

“Mm...” A weak groan left Min-ho’s lips. His head was pounding. Where...

Right. He was with Ray, but...

Did Ray really...

“You’re awake, Min-ho.”

A soft, familiar voice tickled Min-ho’s ears. His eyelids felt unusually heavy, but he strained himself to open them blearily. His vision was painfully blurry, and his body ached too much to move. He could hardly make out Ray’s shape, but he knew that bleached head from anywhere.

“Did I give you too much? I’m sorry... I didn’t want to hurt you. I’m really sorry.” Ray began with a million apologizes that all flew over Min-ho’s head. Why was he apologizing? Wasn’t he the one who drugged Min-ho?

And that get-up... it was fuzzy, but it kinda looked magenta with a patch of blue. A rose? Min-ho was pretty sure it was a suit.

It suited Ray.

“Ghh...” Min-ho wanted to respond, but all he could manage to do was bring both hands to his forehead and massage it. He winced at each burst of pain while Ray continued on.

“You’re confused, aren’t you? Well... you’re in paradise. Magenta. It a really great place, I promise you’ll like it! I didn’t drug you for no reason, of course...” Ray stood up straight and formal, a stark contrast to his usual nerves.

“The pain will fade soon, it’s temporary. Do you want water? Food? I can make you some... But I need to explain everything first. You can wait a little, can’t you? I’ll be quick, I promise,” Ray continued, though Min-ho couldn’t process the situation quickly enough. Magenta? Pain? Where even was he? He wanted to look around, but... His eyelids just felt so heavy...

“I told you, I make games. And I want you to test this game. I wanted to recruit someone, and you looked like the best candidate! You’re really nice too, so I chose you.

“The game in question... is kinda otome. But you’re a guy, so... A harem? With a guy? BL sounds bad... Anyway, the goal is to befriend and maybe romance characters in the group, the RFA, and hold a party. I could explain everything, but I’d think the guys could explain it better... oh, there’s one girl too,” Ray acknowledged, bringing a finger to his chin. He paid no mind to the dull look in Min-ho’s eyes.

“Anyway, you’ll be the party coordinator. And your goal is to gather guests. The more you get, the better your outcome will be. If you gather too little, you might get a bad ending... Then you’d have to start all over from scratch...” Ray’s words didn’t really connect properly in Min-ho’s mind. Party? RFA? Guests? Befriend? Just what was the guy going on about...?

“Like I said before, it’s mobile. I already took your phone and installed it. You’re gonna have to remain here while you play the game, of course... I wouldn’t have brought you otherwise.

“It’s a messenger-app game. They run a charity organization, and the premise is that someone hacked the chatroom and let you in. The characters, or AIs in question will be very suspicious. But you don’t know anything, and can’t say anything, okay? You wouldn’t want to get a bad ending...” Ray gently laid a hand on Min-ho’s long, curly red hair, and Min-ho could do nothing but tense under it.

“It’s no fun when they like you immediately, right? But if the AIs really don’t come to accept you, say ‘someone named Rika sent me to hold the party.’ The rest, they’ll explain to you. Haha, you’ll do great, party coordinator.” Ray pulled away his hand, stepping back to scrutinize Min-ho. He acted as though in that moment, he realized just how hurt Min-ho was.

“I’ll get you something to drink, okay? Your phone’s in your pocket and your bag’s on the table. There’s a shower, and closet, but... you can find that out yourself. I’ll cook you something light too.” Ray stood up and dusted his hands, flashing Min-ho an eerily innocent smile as he calmly made his way to the room’s exit.

As though suddenly remembering something, he turned around and shot Min-ho a sympathetic look. “The doors are guarded since we can’t trust you to leave the room yet, sorry... We’ll let you roam the floor soon though, promise. I wouldn’t try to call or text anyone for help either... It won’t work. I’m really sorry.” After an uncomfortable amount of apologies, Ray left the room, leaving Min-ho to his thoughts.

What.

The absolute.

_Fuck._

So Ray brought him over for some game? What kind of excuse was that? Don’t people normally kidnap people when they plan to do something bad..?

The room itself wasn’t even that bad. When gently tilting his head, Min-ho saw just how fancy the room was. The bed he was on was unbelievably soft, with a pink duvet and fluffy covers. The pillows all felt super comfortable, and the room even had a table with some chairs and a chandelier. It felt like an extremely expensive hotel, but that just made Min-ho feel worse.

Paradise? Just where in the world was he...? He couldn’t begin to ask, and he doubt his phone would tell him. Even so, he reached down anyway and attempted to turn on his location. No luck. It made this weird, unnatural error sound, so Min-ho left it at that. Everything looked pretty normal on it, save for this extra app downloaded on it.

‘Mystic Messenger’...?

It looked... relatively normal. Did it carry some kind of virus? What use would that be to Ray? If that was the case, Ray could’ve just downloaded it at his place when Min-ho arrived and left it at that.

...Was this the game? The weird game Ray had been preaching about before? Min-ho couldn’t tell. What would happen if he opened the app? Was it really a messenger game? Or was it something worse? Something unimaginable?

...Min-ho supposed he could do nothing but open it up.

The app took a while to download—it was really big— but once it downloaded, Min-ho was prompted to add a name and a profile picture with a verification email. He also had a background photo and a status. Messaging app, right. How should he set up his profile...?

Anything downloaded by a guy like Ray was sketchy in this situation, so using his name wasn’t entirely ideal. Then again, Ray could probably find out any information he wanted if he managed to bypass Min-ho’s password...

So, Min-ho decided to risk it and put his first name as the user. He put one of his art pieces as the profile pic. It was one of his more realistic ones with him in a profile view. A matching green background and a status update of ‘hey’ later, he was done.

After he signed in, he was immediately transported to a group chat. A bunch of people were chatting together, paying no mind to Min-ho’s entrance.

The group chat talked about a dude, Jumin, who had written a book that became a best-seller. The Successful Path of a Certain Man. It sounded kind of familiar. Was it based off of something?

Actually, the name Jumin itself was kinda familiar...

It seemed that guy was actually in the chatroom despite the badmouthing. So was someone who had a connection to him, ‘Jaehee Kang’. The two sounded eerily familiar but... It was a game. That made no sense.

Unless...

Han, Han...

That had to be the chairman, right? But his name wasn’t Jumin...

Ah, but he had a son. Corporate heir with a thing for cats.

...Min-ho’s boss’ boss, in other words.

Well shit.

> 707: ??????  
> 707: ??!?!?!?!?!??!  
> ZEN: What’s up with you?  
> 707: Intruder  
> 707: Intruder  
> Jaehee Kang: If it’s a pest, kill it with Kombat  
> 707: WEEEOOEEE!  
> 707: WEEEOOEEE!  
> 707: Issuing security alert!

Ah, took them long enough. They were all so busy talking book quotes and dissing Jumin, they didn’t even realize that Min-ho’s been there for the past eight minutes. Everyone sorta went into panic mode, so Min-ho decided to make his presence known.

> >Min-ho: Please, keep talking book quotes. It’s been a while since I logged in, y’know;;  
> 707: Srry;   
> 707: We didn’t notice cuz u weren’t talking lollll  
> Jaehee Kang: Identify yourself.  
> 707: haah...  
> 707: W a i t  
> 707: There’s a written challenge in my email box  
> 707: ✨Guess I stirred up some trouble✨

707 went on to explain how he apparently hacked a hacker server (huh, ironic), and left a cat paw print meowing...? The challengers said they’d take revenge or some crap like that, but the story wasn’t all that believable. The others seemed to take it completely at face value, though...

Was the guy legitimately a hacker?

The others only grew more confused when Min-ho replied again. There wasn’t much personality behind it, just mindless agreement. He didn’t really want them to ask more. It hurt his head enough to just skim through the messages.

The red-haired dude, 707, was apparently put to the task of finding out why Min-ho was in the chatroom to begin with. V was getting pestered from all sides, since he was the head of the RFA, according to them.

> Yoosung★: Why don’t we just ask directly who they are first?  
> Jumin Han: Doubt they’ll be honest... but it’s not a bad idea.  
> Yoosung★: Don’t know until you try  
> Yoosung★: 🌟Hey! Where are you from, Min-ho?🌟  
>  >Min-ho: This really cool place called South Korea. You should visit sometime, cutie~!  
> Yoosung★: C-cutie...?  
> Jumin Han: Curious...  
> Jaehee Kang: You have no intention of revealing your whereabouts, I see...  
> ZEN: Perhaps...  
> ZEN: You came to see me...?  
> V: This isn’t the most appropriate time, Hyun...  
> Yoosung★: It’s been a long time since I agreed with V  
> ZEN: T_T  
> Jaehee Kang: Are you done yet, Luciel?  
> 707: What’s wrong with this...?  
> 707: It’s not working?  
> 707: I can’t track down  
> 707: The location at all

...Was that the work of Ray? He was supposed to be a game developer but... he was able to block Min-ho’s location so easily. If 707 was a hacker like everyone claimed, then...

What did that make Ray? Some kind of hacker too?

> Jumin Han: Min-ho, I’ll change the question  
> Jumin Han: For what purpose did you log into this messenger?  
>  >Min-ho: ...I was told about party. To coordinate it.

Both Jaehee and Jumin became (understandably) suspicious. Luckily, they didn’t seem to recognize Min-ho. They didn’t work in close proximity anyway. It was Min-ho’s boss who actually interacted with the man. Min-ho was too low on the totem pole for that. Still, it was nerve-wracking. Could he reveal who his was without any consequences? Was it only his location that had to remain secret? Should... he ask Ray? Ray was a kidnapper, in theory, but he seemed... oddly innocent. Nice.

...

He shouldn’t be thinking like that.

Apparently, V, being the head of the RFA, was the only one who could make decisions about the party. Yoosung was oddly hostile towards the man, while 707 considered cutting off access to Min-ho.

If he did that... What would happen? Would Ray force him back in? Would it be the end of this so-called game?

Ray... wouldn’t just let him go home, would he?

What the hell would happen to Min-ho?

He should go with Ray’s advice, then.

> >Min-ho: Blocked, huh? But someone named Rika sent me.

...That certainly gathered a heavy response from the group. Having V tell him that Rika had passed was a blow to the chest, though. Shit, he mentioned a dead person? What the hell was Ray trying to get him to say? That’s really insensitive.

He wanted to apologize, but the group had already gone off into their own conversation. Yoosung was adamant on knowing more about Rika, therefore on letting Min-ho stay, while the others grew more suspicious. V, for some reason, actually wanted to talk to Min-ho... on the phone.

Did that mean he could ask for help? Or was that begging for trouble? Either way, he replied enthusiastically to accepting V’s call.

The guys plus Jaehee chatted for a while longer, and Min-ho managed to get a broader view of the situation. Rika was apparently V’s fiancé—poor guy—and started the RFA, which hosted charity fundraisers. V was open to the idea of hosting parties again with Min-ho taking Rika’s position. It was same general idea Ray had explained before, but more in-depth.

In the meanwhile, 707 was to research more about Min-ho.

...Was there really a problem in speaking about his identity?

Maybe it’d help him in the long run. Plus, having open access to his boss’ boss could be incredibly useful.

> >Min-ho: I’m not that secretive, y’know ;)  
> Yoosung★: Huh?  
> Yoosung★: But you won’t tell us anything about yourself!  
>  >Min-ho: No, I just wouldn’t answer the question you asked. Specifically.  
>  >Min-ho: But the whole background check sounds scary...  
>  >Min-ho: Hey, Jaehee  
> Jaehee Kang: Yes...?  
>  >Min-ho: All the information you want about me is right at your fingertips, I bet  
> Jaehee Kang: Are you meaning to imply something? Can’t you explain directly?  
>  >Min-ho: ...Not sure. I don’t wanna risk it.  
> ZEN: Risk...?  
> V: Are you in some kind of danger, Min-ho?

All he had to do was type out ‘yes’. He could type out ‘save me!’, and the group would get the hint that something was amiss. But what was the use? This was the app _Ray_ connected him to, the guy who started all of this. Why were Jaehee and Jumin involved? If this was some kind of charity organization, why was Min-ho kidnapped so he could join it?

It just made no sense...

> >Min-ho: Danger? Sounds scary, haha  
>  >Min-ho: It’ll be a cinch for you, Jaehee!  
> V: Jaehee, specifically...?  
> Jaehee Kang: I’m quite confused myself. I don’t believe I’m acquainted with a ‘Min-ho’...  
>  >Min-ho: Oh, we aren’t... well, perhaps we are? Who knows~?  
> Jaehee Kang: Are you...  
> ZEN: Wow, he works fast lol  
> Yoosung★: We’re sticking with he?  
>  >Min-ho: Definitely a he!  
> Jumin Han: I see...  
> Jumin Han: Then. Assistant Kang. Begin an extensive background check on Min-ho.  
> Jaehee Kang: T_T  
> Jaehee Kang: Yes, Mr. Han  
> ZEN: The tyrant strikes again  
>  >Min-ho: Oops. But hey, if you know where to look, you can find out all about me in a few seconds, really!  
> Jaehee Kang: I truly hope that is the case...

The group chatted with each other for a little longer before logging out one by one. Zen and Yoosung seemed to be the most agreeable, and somewhat seemed to trust Min-ho despite the clear mistrust from the rest of the group.

That was fine though, he managed to begin what Ray wanted him to do. That meant he’d be... fine. Hopefully.

Now he could maybe take a look around? If there were clothes in the closet, he could take a hot shower to ease his mind. He never heard of hot showers helping with headaches, but it was worth a shot.

Before he could force himself up, his phone rang. A glance at the caller ID and he saw it was V.

Huh.

He picked up.

“Hel—“ Min-ho silently grasped and grabbed his head. Damn, he didn’t think it’d hurt that much to talk.

“Ah, Min-ho? Your voice cut off for a second there...”

“I’m fine! Just a bit of a headache’s all...” Min-ho let out a little chuckle to hide his acute pain. V seemed to believe it easily enough, and continued on.

“I see. I hope it goes away soon. Anyway, allow me to formally introduce myself. I’m V, head of the RFA. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“You too, V! Damn, you have a really nice voice, y’know? It’s so gentle...” Min-ho sighed, allowing his head to fall back onto the bed while he listened to V stammer in embarrassment for a few moments. He quickly gathered himself, clearing his throat.

“Oh! Um... didn’t expect that. Thank you.” Min-ho could practically see V’s red cheeks. “It’s great to hear your voice. It makes it feel more real... Like we can trust you. Oh, I meant to ask you something...”

“Hmm?”

“If it doesn’t bother you to answer... How do you know about Rika? The answer might confuse the other members, so...”

Min-ho’s eyes trailed to the ceiling as he thought up a probable excuse. Maybe he could subtly ask for help? Something not even Ray would notice...

“I got an invitation.” Min-ho decided to stick with that.

“Invitation? ...Could you tell me exactly what was on the invitation?”

“It just told me to hold a party. Said it’d be paradise.” Min-ho stuck with that. It was vague enough to leave anyone unsuspecting confused, but anything more was too specific.

“...Min-ho. Can I ask you—“

“Don’t worry, I plan to do this job to the fullest. Oh, shit...” Min-ho’s eyes flicked to the door, where he saw the doorknob jiggle. Ray was back, then.

“Ok I have to hang up itwasnicetalkingtoyoubye—“

“Min-ho!”

Min-ho quickly hung up, just a millisecond before Ray opened the door.

“I’m back, Min-ho! I didn’t expect you to play the game while I was gone, but you did so good! That boy Yoosung and that actor are already beginning to trust you.” Despite the fact that Ray’s hands were full of food and water, he still somehow knew exactly what had gone on in the chatroom. Freaky.

“Be careful with phone calls, alright? That V guy isn’t trustworthy. Even if you tried to get him to save you, he never would. He couldn’t save a plant if he tried.” Ray’s eyes narrowed dangerously as he set the food down on the table. Alright then, Ray shouldn’t be tested. And he was oddly specific. Min-ho should be a lot more cautious with his words and actions.

“Anyway, I made you a light porridge. I have some water too. If you want anything else, just ask the guards. Or you can text me. Anytime.” Ray smiled so cheerfully, it was hard to believe the same man looked as though he wanted to murder V with his bare hands two seconds ago. Or had kidnapped Min-ho. Or was a part of some crazy... group... thing? What the hell was going on, anyway...?

“Ray...?” Min-ho grasped his head as he sat up, meeting the man’s eyes. Such an odd color. It really stood out against his pale features.

“Min-ho...? I’ll bring you some medicine too, for you head. Actually, I’ll get it right n—“

“Magenta... Paradise... It all sounds so crazy, delusional. I don’t get it. What is this place? Why did you bring me here? ...What do you want?”

“...” Ray went silent. He stared calmly at Min-ho, as if deliberating whether he should explain or not. After a long minute, he let out a quiet exhale.

“As long as you don’t spill. Here... is where we’re all happy. You never have to feel pain again. No one can hurt you, you’re safe here... It’s paradise. I hope you decide to stay.” Ray tilted his head with the sweetest, most unsettling grin.

Did Min-ho get wrapped up in some cult scheme? Just what made Ray fall for their pretty lies?

“...Game.”

“Game?”

“Why’d you lie? You’re not a game developer.” Min-ho didn’t meet Ray’s eyes as he forced himself up from the bed and went to sit at the table.

“How—Right. You... You work at C&R, don’t you? Jumin’s your boss. Of course. You’d find out, even if he wasn’t. You’re smart.” Ray giggled at the prospect, eyeing Min-ho as he brought the porridge to his mouth.

It was good.

“...”

“I’m sorry. I thought the lie would last a little longer, but I guess not. Yes, it’s not a game. But you still need to play exactly how I told you. No messing it up. It’s very important.” Ray held a finger out to Min-ho like he was scolding a child, his face stern. “And yes, you can tell them about you. They won’t find out where you are anyway, and that’s all that matters. No asking for help, though. You know the rules.”

“How’d you—“

“I have to monitor you, of course, to see how well you’re doing... I’m sorry. I’m really sorry you had to be dragged here, but you’ve gotta stay, okay? At least until the party.” Ray leaned forward, a desperate plea written on his face as he put a hand on the table. Min-ho slightly leaned back, making Ray flinch and stand straight up.

“S-Sorry... I’ll go get you some medicine now.” With those words, Ray scurried out of the room, nearly tripping over his own feet. It left Min-ho to his own devices, though he couldn’t bring himself to do anything other than finish off the disgustingly good porridge.

Just what did Min-ho do to get wrapped up in all of this?

What... was going to happen to him?

Feeling a buzz in his pocket, Min-ho pulled out his phone. From the RFA chatroom, there was just one message. From V. A few short, sweet lines.

_Welcome to the RFA, Min-ho. We’re happy to have you. We hope you’ll come to us if there’s any trouble._

...The situation was less than ideal. Min-ho was locked up like some princess in a tower, and Ray held the key. He couldn’t leave, and he couldn’t scream for cry or help. He could only endure.

But perhaps the RFA wasn’t so bad. It was questionable why Ray would target them, but maybe they could be trusted. Maybe they were victims instead of accomplices to Ray’s cult scheme. Min-ho really hoped so.

The RFA was the only hope he had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn’t sure about writing this at first, but I’m actually kinda excited! I plan to write V’s route first since I very much have a bias towards that beautiful man, but I hope to finish writing Saeran’s too! ^^


	2. Day 1 — New Face & Jaehee’s Doubt

He’s never stayed somewhere so... fancy before. Hotels he stayed in couldn’t even begin to compare to this place. The food was really, _really_ well made. He’d know, his roommate was a chef. Most of it had a certain homemade quality to it... Min-ho was pretty sure Ray was behind half of his meals. The way he’d ask what Min-ho wanted, and even if he didn’t bring it, he’d still ask how it was and if Min-ho wanted him to change anything about it. Relying on the person who took away his freedom... Ironic.

“...Haaaah....” He let out a long sigh, rolling on his bed. It was late, around twelve am, and he was bored beyond reason. His nerves kept him awake the entire time, a strange, foreboding fear rising in his throat every time he attempted to sleep. Ray hadn’t come back after giving Min-ho medicine, leaving Min-ho to wallow in his thoughts.

For the record, he did try to leave, but the two cult dudes in robes outside the door made it very obvious that wouldn’t happen. They were huge, the kind of guys who could easily twist Min-ho into a pretzel. Looked like Ray wasn’t taking any chances.

All for some messaging app... What was the deal? Who kidnaps someone _just_ to have them help out with a party?

The scariest thing was... Min-ho didn’t hate his situation all that much. Yes, he was trapped, but he was provided any necessities. The food was amazing, he was given playing cards to mess with, and had his phone to keep him occupied. He texted a little back and fourth with Joshua to quell his worries over Min-ho not coming home, and gave the excuse he was visiting distant family in case he wouldn’t be home for a while.

What confused Min-ho most of all, though, was Ray. He was sweet, if not a little scary. He was still as kind as he was in the beginning. His nerves disappeared, giving way to a formal, rigid posture that was very refined. The nerves Min-ho noticed before might have been a ruse, or maybe not. Maybe Ray was just good at hiding them.

He was very attentive, in any case, for he had texted Min-ho a few times to ask if he was okay throughout the late evening. It was hard to condemn Ray when all Min-ho saw him as was a hopeless, awkward guy who needed a boost of self-confidence, but... If he did, it’d make escaping a lot easier. And ease his inner discomfort.

“Thinking about this hurts my head...” Min-ho rolled to his side, staring at his reflection on black screen of his phone. What if he hadn’t met Ray? Would he be relaxing at home as usual, goofing off with Joshua and completing his work and job? Rushing to meet deadlines for school and work like his life depended on it? Drawing in his free time to ease his muddled mind?

He looked a hot mess. His usual half ponytail was messy and nearly undone, his calm curls having turned unruly and frizzy. His usual bright eyes had somewhat dulled, the specks of gray almost taking over the vibrant green that usual dominated his irises. Eye shadows were even beginning to show, something he’d manage to keep in check despite his crazy schedule. If he kept the same pace, he’d never escape... He couldn’t neglect himself.

_“[new chatroom] New Face!”_

Min-ho’s phone buzzed in his hand, before he was met with a notification from Mystic Messenger. Such a weird name...

With a sigh, Min-ho unlocked his phone and opened the app. There was a single chatroom, with no one but Yoosung present.

Min-ho wasn’t really in the mood to chat. He’d rather just collapse and shove the feeling that kept him awake down before taking a long, much-needed rest. He hated when he got all down and panicked when things suddenly sprung up. He had to focus, dammit! He couldn’t waste time wallowing in self-pity. But he always fell into the rabbit hole, unable to claw his way back out. He always just... panicked when things went haywire, when plans crashed in the worst way possible.

Even now, he...

...He had to get a grip. He could at least text, right? It wasn’t a face to face conversation, he didn’t have to put on airs and smile his way through the pain. He just... had to text. Like his normal self.

His normal, charming self.

> **Min-ho has entered the chatroom.**
> 
> Yoosung★: Oh wow  
> Yoosung★: It’s the man himself! In the flesh!  
> Yoosung★: Hi Min-ho!  
>  >Min-ho: So that’s how the app works  
>  >Min-ho: Cool  
>  >Min-ho: Hey Yoosung star!  
> Yoosung★: Star...?  
> Yoosung★: Just Yoosung works  
> Yoosung★: I’ve been thinking about you!  
> Yoosung★: It’s why I’m up so late ;-;  
>  >Min-ho: Aww, sorry ‘bout that  
>  >Min-ho: Get some sleep!  
> Yoosung★: But it’s Saturday night!  
> Yoosung★: i wanna stay up late...  
> Yoosung★: not that I have a reason to  
> Yoosung★: sigh....  
> Yoosung★: Anyway~~~!  
> Yoosung★: I have so much I wanna ask you Min-ho!  
>  >Min-ho: Really?  
> Yoosung★: Yeah!  
> Yoosung★: Oh, did you already talk to V?  
>  >Min-ho: Yea  
>  >Min-ho: He’s gotta nice voice  
>  >Min-ho: That voice could put me to sleep  
>  >Min-ho: Wish mine was that nice  
> Yoosung★: I wonder what it sounds like  
> Yoosung★: People say mine’s cute  
> Yoosung★: but I don’t wanna be cute. I wanna be manly!  
>  >Min-ho: But you pull off the cute thing so well  
>  >Min-ho: If your profile pic is any indication  
> Yoosung★: R-Really—?  
> Yoosung★: even you think that...  
> Yoosung★: am I that hopeless? ;-;  
> Yoosung★: **Hey Min-ho, what do you look like?**  
>  Yoosung★: Your profile pics just a drawing, right?  
>  >Min-ho: Yeah, but I drew it  
>  >Min-ho: And it’s a drawing of me ^^  
> Yoosung★: Wow;; that’s so good!  
> Yoosung★: Can you draw me???  
> Yoosung★: That’d be so cool!!!  
>  >Min-ho: I don’t work for free  
> Yoosung★: Oh...  
> Yoosung★: I’m a little hard on cash right now (˃̩̩⌂˂̩̩ )  
> Yoosung★: Can I get a picture then?  
> Yoosung★: I bet everyone else wants to see too! It might even help them trust you since some of us don’t...  
> Yoosung★: but I do, don’t worry!!  
>  >Min-ho: ...  
>  >Min-ho: Convince me ;)  
> Yoosung★: ??  
> Yoosung★: Um !!!  
> Yoosung★: That’s !  
> Yoosung★: ...Please?  
> Yoosung★: Pretty, please, with a cherry on top !!

...Min-ho didn’t really know how Yoosung would take the playful remark, but it was kinda sweet in a way, innocent. It was cute enough for Min-ho to give in, at least. He raked his fingers through his unruly hair to tame is somewhat, exiting out of the app for a minute to pull up his camera. He took a quick picture, not to happy with the shadows under his eyes, but satisfied enough to post. He couldn’t force a smile, so he settled for quirking up a lip to not look so worn.

> Yoosung★: ;;;  
> Yoosung★: Wow...  
> Yoosung★: I feel inadequate now T_T  
> Yoosung★: Huh  
> Yoosung★: Your eyes look just like Rika’s....  
>  >Min-ho: What?
> 
> **ZEN has entered the chatroom.**
> 
> ZEN: Huh?  
> ZEN: Woah, new guy uploaded a photo  
> ZEN: Damn, look at all that hair. Nice.  
> ZEN: What’s up, Min-ho? You look kinda tired in the pic.  
>  >Min-ho: Hey Zen  
>  >Min-ho: Can’t sleep...  
>  >Min-ho: How are you?  
> ZEN: Good! I couldn’t sleep either  
> ZEN: Everytime I’d try, my body would betray me...  
> Yoosung★: Maybe you could if you tried a little harder -_-  
> ZEN: Woah, feisty  
> ZEN: What’s up with you lol  
> Yoosung★: Nothing!  
> Yoosung★: I just wanna ask Min-ho some more questions  
> Yoosung★: Like what he talked about with V  
> Yoosung★: And how he knows Rika!  
> ZEN: Don’t you think you’d be overwhelming him?  
>  >Min-ho:It’s fine  
>  >Min-ho: V welcomed me to the RFA  
>  >Min-ho: Rika just told me to hold a party. I... don’t know anything else.  
>  >Min-ho: I’m sorry.  
>  >Min-ho: I’m sure she meant a lot to you  
> Yoosung★: ...Oh, I see.  
> Yoosung★: she was my cousin, after all.  
> ZEN: ...  
> Yoosung★: Hmm  
> Yoosung★: You don’t know much about our situation  
> Yoosung★: And we kinda just tossed you in  
> Yoosung★: How about I explain? ^^  
> ZEN: Anything coming from you is gonna be one-sided  
> Yoosung★: No way!

Yoosung went on to explain more in depth on Rika and V’s relationship. Rika had apparently committed suicide 6 months ago, but there was no definitive proof of her death. Her passing was a huge blow to the group, so they didn’t hold parties nearly as often as they used to. Yoosung targeted V throughout the whole explanation. Zen was exasperated, explaining how Yoosung didn’t much like V due to V being the closest to Rika before her passing and not knowing anything.

Yoosung very much had an open dislike for V. It was subtle in the first chat Min-ho joined, but much more obvious now. Yoosung felt that V wasn’t often honest or as active as he used to be.

...Min-ho couldn’t really fault either. Of course Yoosung would be hurt, his cousin died. And it’d be easier to place the blame on someone. Didn’t make it right, but...

And V’s fiancé died. The woman he loved, wanted to marry. They were both going through a hard time.

> >Min-ho: I don’t know much  
>  >Min-ho: But V doesn’t sound like a bad guy  
>  >Min-ho: His fiancé _died_. That’s gotta hurt more than anything...  
>  >Min-ho: And your cousin died. That’s gotta hurt just as much...  
>  >Min-ho: You shouldn’t attack V. You’re both probably in pain. She meant a lot to both of you.  
> Yoosung★: ...She did  
> Yoosung★: She meant a lot;;;  
> Yoosung★: I dunno about V...  
> Yoosung★: He didn’t even cry when she died! It’s not just that... He’s hiding somethinf!!  
> Yoosung★: Soemthin big !!1!  
> Yoosung★: He’s so scrective!! Why does he need to hide everybrinf?!  
> ZEN: Typo  
> Yoosung★: ugh;;;  
> Yoosung★: If he just told us what he was hiding...  
>  >Min-ho: ...  
> ZEN: I personally trust V  
> ZEN: He’s a good friend going through a hard time. You’re supposed to support him, not suspect him  
> ZEN: You’re gonna be real embarrassed when you find out it’s all one big stupid misunderstanding ^^  
>  >Min-ho: ...  
>  >Min-ho: ‘til V gives me a reason to not trust him, I will.  
> ZEN: Exactly! At least someone gets it;;;  
> Yoosung★: Hmmm  
> Yoosung★: I wonder if Min-ho knows anything...  
> ZEN: Gah! You don’t listen at all  
> ZEN: That’s it, off to bed with you  
> Yoosung★: Huh?? Why?!  
> Yoosung★: I’m not done asking Min-ho questions!  
> ZEN: Nope, it’s late and the poor guys probably exhausted  
> ZEN: We all need some sleep  
>  >Min-ho: Yeah...  
> Yoosung★: ;;;  
> Yoosung★: ...  
> Yoosung★: Fine, I give in  
> Yoosung★: But I’m talking to Min-ho tomorrow  
> Yoosung★: Goodnight, Min-ho!  
> Yoosung★: Night, _mom_  
>  ZEN: Tch, night  
> >Min-ho: G’night, Yoosung  
> Yoosung★: ^^
> 
> **Yoosung★ has left the chatroom.**
> 
> ZEN: Sigh...  
> ZEN: Thank god he actually listened  
> ZEN: You don’t have to answer all his questions, you know  
> ZEN: Just ignore him and log off. That’ll teach him lmao  
>  >Min-ho: Haha, that’s mean  
>  >Min-ho: You’ve gotta be tired too, right, handsome?  
> ZEN: Handsome?  
> ZEN: Not sure how I feel about a guy complimenting me...  
> ZEN: But that just means my beauty surpasses gender~~!  
>  >Min-ho: ...Gay people exist, Zen.  
> ZEN: Of course, I just mean;;  
> ZEN: Um  
> ZEN: wait  
> ZEN: Are you... uh... gay, Min-ho?  
> >Min-ho: ...  
> ZEN: You don’t have to answer that;;  
> ZEN: Sorry, uh;;;  
> ZEN: I made things awkward, didn’t I?  
> ZEN: ...

Gay, huh? Zen was half-correct, at least. Should... Min-ho correct him? Or deny it altogether? It was a risky move. If Jumin was against people open about their sexuality, then...

And if the rest of chat was inherently against all that...

...He couldn’t lose his status now. But Zen didn’t seem bad. He’s awkward, but not accusatory. It’d probably be fine. Maybe he’d even gain some more trust? He seriously hoped so, he was putting himself on the line here.

> >Min-ho: ...If you’re hot, you’re hot. Guy or girl.  
> ZEN: huh  
> ZEN: So... you like both genders? That’s cool ^^  
> ZEN: Sorry if that question was invasive;;  
> ZEN: Anyway, I really should get going. Before I actually develop eye bags;;;  
>  >Min-ho: What a tragedy that’d be...  
>  >Min-ho: Night, Gorgeous.  
> ZEN: I think I could get used to these compliments, haha  
> ZEN: Night, dude!
> 
> **ZEN has left the chatroom.**
> 
> **Min-ho has left the chatroom.**

Sighing, Min-ho placed his phone down. What a long-winded chat. Yoosung and Zen were both really open, and apparently trusted Min-ho.

...He wished he could say the same about them.

Chatting individually with the guys like this... really put things into perspective. These were actual people he was manipulated into helping, with them none the wiser. How cruel. He would’ve helped them regardless, assuming that there were no ulterior motives.

With Ray though... who knew? Good intentions, bad, Min-ho couldn’t begin to guess.

...He didn’t want Ray’s intentions to be bad.

Even if it’d be easier if they were.

The situation for Min-ho... wasn’t ideal, though. If he couldn’t leave, he couldn’t attend school or work. He couldn’t risk both his job and grades... If he could just leave, if he wasn’t dragged into this insane, messy plot, or if he wasn’t so naive as to trust trust Ray blindly...

He dug his nails into his hands, allowing the pain to alleviate some stress.

He was fine. He should be happy his situation wasn’t so bad. Other people had it worse, after all.

Slapping his cheeks, Min-ho sat up with vigor, plastering an extremely forced smile onto his face. “Alright!”

He hadn’t truly observed anything as of late, too lost in his thought to really acknowledge his surroundings. Now, though, one thing after another caught his eye.

The room itself only had a single door, to the left of the bed. There was a really long window the opposite end of the room. Min-ho could probably open it if he messed with it a bit. Approaching it, he noticed the garden beneath. Looked like he was on the second floor. Jumping was a risk, but if he landed on a bush he’d be...

No, that was a rose bush. His best bet was rolling into the grass and praying he didn’t break an ankle. He would save that exit for an emergency.

The bathroom didn’t have any exits, meaning the only other way out was the entrance to the room.

Sighing, Min-ho opened the door and peeked out, once again met with two burly dude in cloaks. They really had the whole cult vibe thing going for them.

“Is there a problem? You aren’t allowed to leave the room, sir.”

“No, no problem. I know, I’m just bored. I won’t leave the room, so... Can’t we talk?” Min-ho stared a small conversation while discreetly scanning the hall. Just as fancy as the room. There were two corners down both ways. He wasn’t sure where either led, but they seemed to go in the same direction. His room was the only room by this side.

“...” The other cult follower refused to speak, keeping his back straight and poised. He didn’t want to get sucked into the conversation, the rigid poise made it obvious.

But Min-ho needed information.

“Not even a glance? Ouch. Don’t you ever get bored? Guarding this place.” Min-ho sighed, plopping onto the ground. One of the hooded men dared to look at him, and Min-ho met his eye, raising an eyebrow with a slight upturn of the lip. The man immediately looked away, though Min-ho was confident he managed to get under his skin. It’s why they didn’t banish him back into his room yet.

“We’re here to guard your room and keep you inside, not befriend you.” The other guy wouldn’t spare Min-ho a glance, back still as rigid as ever. Normally, Min-ho could charm the pants off of people, or at least fluster them a little and befriend them. This kind of conversation shouldn’t be an issue.

But he was just so tired, of everything...

He couldn’t bring himself to so much as grin.

“So... are you protecting me, or caging me? Both? Heh, I kinda feel like a zoo animal. Even zoo animals need attention. Companionship? I’m bored, alright?” Min-ho ever so gradually lowered his voice, enough until both men had to lean in slightly to hear what Min-ho said. The rigid one finally met Min-ho’s gaze head on and seemed to crack a little under it.

He was getting... somewhere?

“Ray says this place is para—“

“Min-ho! What are you doing outside your room? Didn’t I tell you to keep him in there?!”

Speak of the devil. The kid came running up, nearly out of breath as he glared at the guards like they were the most incompetent beings in existence.

“I-I’m sorry, Mr. Ray, we ju—“

“You can only go so long locked up before it gets to you. I’m bored. I’m a social man, y’know.” Min-ho stood up and laughed self derisively, doing his best to play off a guy who just wanted to get out, and maybe push some boundaries.

“You should’ve texted me or something. I would’ve visited you.” Ray crossed his arms, shooting Min-ho a look that indicated he was _really_ pushing it.

“Aren’t you busy? You have your weird hacking-programming thing going on. Wouldn’t wanna bother you. ...Guess I still did, though.” He let a bit of sarcasm seep through, but played it off by averting his gaze with a shrug. Attempting to get information while feeling crappy was a bad call.

“Min-ho, you...” Ray sighed, rubbing his temples as he thought up an answer. “Get some sleep and I’ll consider letting you walk around tomorrow. I know you’re cramped in there, and you’re really social, so it must suck. Just... not now. We can talk about it tomorrow, ok? Go, back to your room. I was gonna check on you, but you’re fine. Goodnight.” Ray gave Min-ho a gentle shove, the look on his face exasperated. Still, his eyes were gentle, and he hardly looked hostile.

Though Min-ho managed to get by by the skin of his teeth, he was able to return to his room with a subtle hope. Maybe he’d actually get the chance to look around the place!

If he played his cards right, maybe he could even ‘befriend’ the cultists? Playing nice wasn’t really something he wanted to do, but there was a lot riding on whether he’d escape or not. He just... had to endure.

He had to.

_**Buzz buzz** _

Feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, Min-ho pulled it out. It was a call, the ID read Yoosung. Bad timing, he still felt like crap. But he had a reputation to uphold, and kind of felt bad ignoring Yoosung’s call.

“Hello?”

“Oh! You picked up! I didn’t think you would because it’s so late... or because you were mad at me... um... I was tired but I was still really curious about your voice so...” Yoosung trailed off, words leaving him. He did, in fact, have a cute voice. It was very bright and choppy, yet soft. Min-ho liked it.

“Aha, it’s fine. I’m too tired to argue. Hearing you’s nice, Yoosung. Wish we could see each other. Like FaceTime, I guess? This app doesn’t have that. Could it?” Min-ho thought aloud, bringing a finger to his chin. In truth, he didn’t have any of their numbers. The app itself handled all communication. So he’d need their numbers to chat that way unless the app had a function for that.

“That wouldn’t work with my phone... But maybe we can ask Seven to add it! Oh, he’s a hacker and the creator of the app, if you didn’t know. Red hair with those weird glasses. He likes to cosplay and cross-dress too...” Yoosung hummed, making Min-ho raise an eyebrow. Cosplay. Interesting hobby.

“Cosplay? That’s new. Guess I don’t know all that much about you guys.”

“I can help! There’s Seven, Zen, Jaehee, Jumin, and V! Me too. Who do you wanna know about?”

“Hmm...” Min-ho pondered. “Why not everyone?”

“O-Ok! I’ll try to keep it short. You already know Seven. Zen’s a huge narcissist and thinks he’s the greatest looking guy. He posts way too many selfies too. But he’s an actor, and pretty good. He’s not that well known yet, but he’s gaining popularity,” Yoosung explained, his voice softening somewhat. Now that Min-ho thought about it...

“Wo-ow. I’ve gotta look him up, I’ve never met an actor before. You two get along, right?”

“Yeah! He’s like... the only other normal person, I guess? We hang out a lot outside the chat. He can be annoying but... He’s not a bad guy.” Yoosung paused for a moment, taking a breath.

“Then there’s Jumin. He’s the corporate heir and executive director of a really big company, C&R International. They do a lot of stuff, exports, commercials, banking, fashion...”

“Right. I actually work there,” Min-ho added in idly, earning a long silence.

“Y-You... WHAT?! Since when?! Why didn’t you say anything? We could easily trust you if we knew you worked with Jumin and Jaehee!” Yoosung groaned, and Min-ho could swear he heard Yoosung smack his forehead with a sigh. ...Maybe he should’ve waited until he was in the chat?

“I guess under all the commotion, I forgot. Or I just didn’t want to reveal all my cards juuust yet.” Min-ho let the white lie slip from his lips, cracking a _very_ strained laugh.

“Is that why you said Jaehee should give you a background check? Wow... you really work at C&R... how old are you, anyway?”

“Twenty-three. Still getting my masters!”

“Huh, you’re not that much older! I’m twenty, still in college. It sucks...wait-wait! I’m supposed to talk about the members! Gah, ok, next is Jaehee. She’s Jumin’s assistant, and works really hard. Too hard. Poor Jaehee, she never gets a break...” Yoosung sighed in sympathy for the girl, while Min-ho nodded. Was Jumin a demanding boss? He had heard... interesting rumors in the company. Slacker, hard-worker, loved cats. He the most skilled, unreliable, crazy boss there was. The rumors all contradicted themselves, so it was hard to understand Jumin’s character.

“And there’s V. He’s the head of the RFA and was Rika’s fiancé. You... already know how I feel about him. Oh, he’s a photographer too! He stopped after Rika disappeared,” Yoosung added, his voice going an octave deeper. Christ, he really didn’t like the man. He and Rika were cousins, right? Min-ho guessed he could somewhat understand why Yoosung wouldn’t entirely place his trust in V, not that he agreed. Still, if her death still loomed over them, they should support each other, not suspect each other, like Zen said.

“And there’s me! I’m just a college student. I go to SKY University. But I think Jumin will take me on as an intern when I complete college!”

“That’s cool. I’ve heard some crazy rumors about him, so I hope you’ll be alright. I work in the fashion department, so I don’t really see him.”

“Fashion? I’m not really good at all of that... Haaah, to think in three years I could have a job like you... I feel old...”

“Old? You’re twenty! What am I, a grandpa or something? Jobs aren’t that bad. ...Actually, they are. Enjoy it while it lasts.” Min-ho relaxed and laid on the bedding, refusing to go under the covers until he washed. Too fancy. He couldn’t sully the covers.

“I bet. Just thinking about it is uuuughh...” Yoosung let out a long groan, making Min-ho let out a little chuckle. What a kid.

“It’s getting late. Aren’t you tired? I am.”

“No way! ...Maybe a little?” Before Yoosung could continue on, he let out a loud, long yawn. Min-ho’s lip quirked up a tiny bit as Yoosung tried to play it off.

“I’m not— I mean... agh, fine! I guess I’m tired. Goodnight, Min-ho. It was nice to hear your voice!”

“You too, Yoosung. Goodnight.”

Min-ho hung up, slipping the phone back into his pocket. The RFA had a diverse cast of a characters personality wise. They themselves didn’t seem all that bad, but... they were just a charity organization, right? Why would Ray target them? What did they have that Ray needed?

He couldn’t piece it together. Thinking about it made Min-ho’s head ache.

He was so tired, but... he felt filthy... If he crawled under the covers now, he’d never forgive himself.

“Shower...” Min-ho clumsily stood up, going to the large closet. It was full of a few white shirts, black shirts, jeans, and even some cloaks. The colors and designs were so boring and mundane, not his style. He was a more plaid kinda guy. Suit jackets too. Casual but stylish. Green especially.

There were a few pajama sets in the closet, at least. Resigned, he grabbed one and made his way to the bathroom. It was really late, but he spent the whole day agonizing over his situation. He was so caught up in his own thoughts that before he had knew it, hours had passed.

He went to hop into the shower, hoping that the hot water would clear his mind. Or at least scald him enough to wake him up from the pleasant fog that shrouded his mind.

He’d never get out of the place if he... actually wanted to stay.

He scrubbed his body much harder than usual, hyper focusing on one spot at a time. Somehow, the grit just didn’t go away. If anything, he felt dirtier than before he got in. After what felt like a lifetime of unsuccessful washing, he hopped of the tub, somewhat awake but feeling grimy.

Drying his hair with a towel, he entered the bedroom and tossed his phone onto the bed. At the same moment, it buzzed with notification for the chatroom. This time, Jaehee was in it. He never got to talk much with her besides throwing work onto her.

He was already up, might as well text a bit before he went to bed. She was more suspicious of him, but he was now able to quell those suspicions.

> **Min-ho has entered the chatroom.**
> 
> Jaehee Kang: I didn’t think anyone else would be on this late  
> Jaehee Kang: Hello, Min-ho.  
> Jaehee Kang: What brings you here at this hour?  
>  >Min-ho: Just got out of the shower. But... I still feel dirty.  
> Jaehee Kang: Dirty?  
> Jaehee Kang: As long as you wash properly, I’m sure you’re clean  
> Jaehee Kang: It’s... rather late for a shower  
>  >Min-ho: I decided to be productive! ^^  
> Jaehee Kang: We seem to have very different ideas of productive...  
> Jaehee Kang: I, personally, was busy with work  
> Jaehee Kang: Before I knew it, it was this time already  
> Jaehee Kang: sigh...  
>  >Min-ho: Work this late? Ouch. Sounds like slave labor.  
> Jaehee Kang: It’s nothing of the sort.  
> Jaehee Kang: I was busy researching you, per Mr. Han’s request.  
> Jaehee Kang: Despite your words, my search came up a blank...  
>  >Min-ho: Heung  
> Jaehee Kang: ?  
>  >Min-ho: My name’s Min-ho Heung  
>  >Min-ho: I’m...  
>  >Min-ho: Kinda, maybe a C&R employee? Haha;;;  
> Jaehee Kang: ...  
> Jaehee Kang: ?????  
> Jaehee Kang: You’re... serious?  
>  >Min-ho: As serious as you can be while half-awake at 2am  
>  >Min-ho: I’m a graphic designer  
>  >Min-ho: I work in fashion division  
>  >Min-ho: That... should help a bit, right?  
> Jaehee Kang: A bit? That’ll help a lot more than ‘a bit’!  
> Jaehee Kang: Why couldn’t you relay this information sooner?  
> Jaehee Kang: It would’ve made research a lot easier...  
>  >Min-ho: Nerves?  
>  >Min-ho: Now you know ^^  
>  >Min-ho: You can explore my deepest, darkest secrets!  
>  >Min-ho: You and Seven have special permission ;)  
> Jaehee Kang: I do admit this is valuable information, as we perform a background check on all employees regardless of division...  
> Jaehee Kang: Though it would be useful to know your current location  
> Jaehee Kang: Or how you got access to this app  
>  >Min-ho: Well...  
>  >Min-ho: I’m far from home.  
>  >Min-ho: I found the app on the App Store!  
> Jaehee Kang: If that we’re the case, a lot more people would’ve joined, no?  
>  >Min-ho: Ya think?  
> Jaehee Kang: I suppose you’re unable to tell us this stuff.  
> Jaehee Kang: Though knowing you work for C&R is a huge relief.  
> Jaehee Kang: That means you should have a clear background.  
> Jaehee Kang: Perhaps we should arrange something so we can see you on the job. Say, Monday?  
> Jaehee Kang: It will allow us to quell any suspicions we have.  
>  >Min-ho: w e l l  
>  >Min-ho: That might not work...  
> Jaehee Kang: ?  
>  >Min-ho: I’m not sure if I’ll make it to work Monday  
> Jaehee Kang: ...Why’s that?  
>  >Min-ho: Personal reasons. Don’t really wanna get into it, if it’s okay with you...  
> Jaehee Kang: I see...  
> Jaehee Kang: Then I suppose I shouldn’t pry.  
> Jaehee Kang: I appreciate you cooperating with this research. I find I feel much better knowing we’ve passed each other once or twice in the halls ^^  
>  >Min-ho: Suspicion cleared? :0  
> Jaehee Kang: I still have to research you, but... I feel much better about continuing it tomorrow  
>  >Min-ho: Suspicion cleared! Woohoo!  
> Jaehee Kang: I did just say I have more to research...  
> Jaehee Kang: But some suspicion has been lifted, yes.  
> Jaehee Kang: It’s gotten late  
> Jaehee Kang: It’s around the time I should be logging off  
>  >Min-ho: Get some sleep, alright? I heard you work really hard!  
> Jaehee Kang: Thank you, Min-ho. Then, Goodnight.  
>  >Min-ho: Night, Jaehee
> 
> **Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom.**
> 
> **Min-ho has left the chatroom.**

“Suspicion cleared...” Min-ho stared at the chatroom, agreeing to the confidentiality notice before closing his phone. Was... that good for him? Part of Min-ho was happy that he could get the RFA to trust him.

...But wasn’t that exactly what Ray wanted? Wasn’t Ray using Min-ho to manipulate the RFA? In that case, would it be better if they didn’t trust him?

...If they didn’t, Min-ho could never rely on the RFA for help, assuming they’re his allies. He didn’t want to think of what would happen if they shut him out and he was forced to explain to Ray how he couldn’t complete his task. Or if they thought Min-ho had lied the entire time and was on the side of the hacker...

His only faith was the RFA. He needed their trust, no matter what. Yes, he was helping the hacker, but if they came to realize he was an innocent victim in all of this....

“Just some innocent victim.” That... that was all he was. Kidnapped, confused, just trying to get by on the little information he has. Trying to escape with all he had to go on, and wrapped into some crazy cult scheme against his will.

...Despite that, the words sat bitterly on his tongue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think my heart literally stopped when I saw that Ray picture on the MysMe main screen. He’s so precious, I can’t;;;
> 
> And I demand his after ending. Literally everything is left unresolved, similar to V’s route. I demand more Ray/Saeran, to save V from Rika, and Saeyoung from his sorry excuse for a father.


	3. The Open Sea & Cats and Dogs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your comments give me life <3

...Was his room always this pink?

Or white?

Or fancy?

He wished.

His body felt heavy too, like a bag of rocks was tossed on top of him. Moving his arm felt like the single hardest chore in existence. And he was awful at those.

....

...

Min-ho never wanted to get up ever again. How in God’s name did Ray manage to obtain such smooth, fluffy covers? And the mattress quality was surreal. He’s tried out some fancy ones before, but they didn’t even begin to compare to the marshmallow he was laying on.

Kidnapping was supposed to be a bad thing, right?

...A little Stockholm Syndrome could be at play too, but... who cared? Maybe it was the groggy, early morning haze dictating his thoughts, but hell would freeze over before he’d even begin to imagine sleeping anywhere else.

“Aaaaah...” He wasn’t refreshed per say, but he felt really nice stretching out his arms in the large bed before snuggling up under the covers. It had to be early, with the sun having barely risen. He probably should’ve closed the curtains before he went to sleep, but he wouldn’t be getting up to do that anytime soon.

His phone suddenly buzzed from under his pillow, dinging with that distinct messenger tone. The RFA chatroom. Min-ho wasn’t really in the mood to log in, but peeking couldn’t hurt, right?

He turned on his phone - wow it was early - and risked a look at the chatroom. Seven zero seven, but Seven was easier to say. He was the eccentric red-head dude. Min-ho never got a chance to chat with him. Hacker, weird glasses, cosplay. Right.

> **Min-ho has entered the chatroom.**
> 
> 707: Chirp  
> 707: Chirp chirp!!  
> 707: CHIRP  
>  >Min-ho: Chirp yourself  
> 707: You threw the chirp back at me—?  
> 707: T-That’s foul play chirp!  
> 707: aaaaaah  
> 707: I’m  
> 707: so  
> 707: tired;;  
> 707: My HP and MP are nearing zero  
> 707: I fear I may not make it past this level  
> 707: I pulled an all-nighter T-T  
>  >Min-ho: Uh-oh  
>  >Min-ho: Get some sleep!  
>  >Min-ho: Don’t tell me you stayed up because of me too...  
> 707: That’s correct chirp!

First Yoosung, then Jaehee and Seven? He sort of understood the last two, but that didn’t make him feel any less bad.

> 707: I’ve been struggling through a no-man’s sea of 0s and 1s all night long!  
> 707: or at least until 2am  
> 707: Then you revealed everything to Jaehee T_T  
> 707: My intel suddenly expanded exponentially!  
> 707: The possibilities were endless!  
> 707: Secrets? Uncovered!  
> 707: ✨ with consent ✨  
> 707: Your family has a very cute dog!!  
>  >Min-ho: That’s some intel;;  
>  >Min-ho: But thank you ^^  
> 707: but it’s not just u  
> 707: I turned my head for a second  
> 707: and BAMM!  
> 707: WHAMM!  
> 707: Huge donut-hole, smack dab in the middle of the messenger server!  
> 707: Blocking it became my upmost priority!!  
> 707: Thus is the fate of a hacker...  
>  >Min-ho: Sounds tough...  
> 707: ughhh  
> 707: it hurts to hear;;  
> 707: Gahh!  
> 707: I know all about you but;;;  
> 707: I still don’t know where you are!!  
> 707: Just a blip in the system  
> 707: Tell meeee o mighty one  
>  >Min-ho: Bold of you to assume I know where I am  
> 707: ...  
> 707: Do you... not know where you are, Min-ho???

...Oops, he let a little too much slip.

> >Min-ho: I get lost easily;;  
>  >Min-ho: I’m out on a jog!  
>  >Min-ho: Oh, I saw a store nearby  
>  >Min-ho: Pretty sure I passed it before?  
> 707: S-So early...  
> 707: My feet hurt just thinking about it ;-;  
> 707: Aww boo ! !  
> 707: Finding you is gonna be a chore •~•  
> 707: haaah, the hackers back at it again  
> 707: and this is where I log off  
> 707: no sleep in the world of God7  
>  >Min-ho: Get some rest soon  
> 707: coming from the cause of my troubles  
> 707: not sure how I feel bout that  
> 707: But thx ^^  
> 707: God7, out!
> 
> **707 has left the chatroom.**
> 
> **Min-ho has left the chatroom.**

...Seven knew about his family’s dog.

Hackers really were something, huh?

Did that mean risking jail? Hacking... was sorta illegal, wasn’t it? Was that why Seven went by Seven? What did seven zero seven stand for anyway? Was it some kind of code?

What did Min-ho know about anything, really? He was just some random guy tossed into the fray with no clue whatsoever. He hardly knew the RFA, he didn’t know a single thing, not _one_ , single thing about the man who brought him here besides his name and personality shifts. He didn’t know where he was, how to get home, how to get Ray out of his phone, how to attend work, classes, nor did he know who to trust or how to ask for help.

Yeah, he was a bit of a mess. He didn’t even notice how tightly he was gripping the covers until his fingers began to ache.

But Min-ho could think of something really nice to help freshen up his brain. Something to help him look at everything a little more objectively.

Sleep! Never failed him before.

The mattress was calling to him, from the dark recesses of his mind. Drawn to it’s presence, he allowed himself to be tempted by it, devoured by it.

He let it consume him until his mind was nothing but a blank slate, not harboring a single dream.

It wasn’t running away... it was just biding time.

That’s all.

* * *

A series of loud bangs nearly made Min-ho jump out of his skin. His bleary eyes flicked to the door, the only possible source of the godforsaken ruckus.

“Min-ho, it’s Ray! Can I come in?”

“...sure thing...” Min-ho stretched and sat up, rubbing his eyes. His hair was unruly and his pajama top was slightly unbuttoned, not to mention his body was still heavy and sluggish. Still, Ray opened the door, paying no mind to the messy display.

“Did you have a nice sleep? Oh! Did I wake you? Sorry. I uh... wanted to visit you. And have a chat, of course... ” Ray, although the definition of perfect and poised, still stumbled a little over his words like he had in the cafè. The guy apologized a lot, even when there was nothing to be sorry for. Granted, Ray should be begging for forgiveness after the kidnapping stunt he pulled, but it didn’t make Min-ho feel better. If anything, it just made him uncomfortable.

“About what?” Min-ho made to get up from under the covers, but Ray held up a hand, indicating that Min-ho didn’t have to move. Fine by him, he was sitting in a cloud.

“So I gave it some thought... and I know you’ll try to escape. I don’t blame you, I really don’t. But I told you, you have to stay until the party. No exceptions. Sorry.” Ray slowly closed his eyes, pain etched into his face. Min-ho couldn’t stomach the look, and averted his eyes.

“But... you can access anything on this floor. The other floors can’t be accessed without permission anyway, so... If you want to roam, that’s fine. Just come back here after. It’s your room, after all.” Ray flashed a gentle smile, the pain very much still lingering.

...Min-ho hated that look in Ray’s eyes. He also hated himself for hating that look. His mind just... He found so many reasons to justify Ray, but at the end of the day... He was nothing more than a kidnapper.

The thoughts rested bitterly in his mind.

“Cool. Great.” Min-ho smiled brightly. Despite his attempt to seem cheery, Ray’s shoulders still slumped despondently as his eyes travelled elsewhere.

“Min-ho I... really am glad I met you. I wanted to become friends with you... You’re so nice and... I like how I feel when I’m around you, so... Oh, I shouldn’t be saying that.” Ray laughed at himself and took a generous step back, as though he’d dirty Min-ho just by being in his presence.

“I just... um... I...” Ray trailed off, his eyes wavering as he broke eye contact. Part of Min-ho wanted to reach out to Ray, to offer something, anything that could be of comfort to the guy. But... he couldn’t. Ray was the ‘bad guy’.

“I’m sorry. I’m making you uncomfortable. I shouldn’t put this all on you. I... I’ll go now. Text me what you want for breakfast. Bye.” Without waiting for a response, Ray practically sprinted out of the room, a stark contrast to his calm demeanor from the night before.

_Hah, why me..._

Min-ho just had the shittiest of luck, didn’t he?

Still, he could wander the floors now. That was good. A cloak could help him blend in too, since the hood was so large, and his guards wore them. Would that make it easier, or harder to start conversation...?

Pondering this, Min-ho forced himself up travelled fo the roomy closet and picked out a black shirt and some pants. A cloak too. It felt heavy in his arms.

Turning his back to the door (which, of course, lacked a lock), Min-ho discarded his pajamas in favor of new, cult-like getup. The robe was... kind of cool looking. ...Really cool looking. He wasn’t into cults, but the dark and mysterious vibe it gave off made his eyes sparkle. It felt amazing too. The material was definitely top notch. A pretty penny must’ve been paid for this thing.

...

...Should he really praise the stitching of the person who made the signature robe for cultists that kidnapped him?

“Cult robe? Check. Cult vibe? ...Check? Dashing smile? Check!” Min-ho laughed to himself, calculating how believable his smile looked in the mirror. It looked fine on the surface, but still lacked a finer touch. His eyes, maybe? Cheeks?

If he crinkled his eyes a bit...

Yeah, just like that. That was a winning smile if he ever saw one. Definitely enough to capture some cultist hearts.

He felt like he was about to enter a war zone.

_Either way I’m screwed. Might as well try my hand at escape._

Min-ho sighed, his mini-monologue giving him enough incentive to exit the safety and security of his room. The hall was more vast than the night before, or was that just his imagination? It felt so unattainable the night before, but now this whole floor was within his reach. Maybe the entire place, in due time...?

He’d leave soon. He was confident in that.

Not two, but four guards stood outside his door this time. None were the two familiar faces from the night before. Nonetheless, he greeted them with his usual, bright smile before making his way down the hall.

Beautiful was an understatement.. The place screamed royalty, resembling a castle or mansion. The gentle pinks complimented the bold blues and golds that gave the place novelty. He turned down one hall, passing people in cloaks. A few stopped to acknowledge him (and each other), mumbling “for eternal paradise,” like it was all they knew. The similar, monotone voices they used were... creepy. No other word to describe it.

What freaked Min-ho out the most was the look in their eyes.

They weren’t like Ray. Ray’s eyes were a gentle, almost unnatural mint color that shone with a strange mesh of confidence and absolute self-depreciation, a complete contradiction. He looked overworked, tired, and pained, but his eyes carried a fight hope, a faint light that flicked feebly.

These people lacked even that. Even if their eyes shone the brightest yellow or blue, they resembled voids, deep and endless abysses with no hope for escape or salvation. They looked as though they had everything stripped of them, left with nothing. Yet they all still happily praised their ‘savior’, like the lack of life in their eyes meant nothing long as they had their savior’s guidance.

It was like... what... Mindless devotion? Complete and utter devotion towards another human being? It made no sense.

“For eternal paradise...” Min-ho mumbled the odd phrase to himself, all while peeking into another, open room. A kitchen? It was pretty small. Lacked ingredients too. Maybe he could go there for a snack every once in a while so he didn’t have to bother Ray. That might backfire and just make Ray more sad, though...

At the end of a hall was an elevator, but there was a card scanner and keypad password to go with it. There was a staircase to the right of it, but the door to it also required a keycard and passcode. That was probably what Ray meant by Min-ho being unable to access other floors. Maybe he could follow another cultist? But if he got asked questions, he’d be done for...

“For eternal paradise.” A cultist passed by Min-ho, pausing to nod, although he had passed much too quickly for Min-ho to get a good look or start conversation.

There was something about him. Almost....

No. Definitely not. Min-ho wouldn’t even toy with the thought.

Resigned, Min-ho turned away from the oh-so-welcome doors and decided to explore the rest of the floor.

There was an empty room similar to his, bathrooms, a room that seemed fit for a therapy session, and... a room full of believers?

They were all lounging about. They even had a game of cards laid out. It was some kind of recreational room. There was pool, ping pong, air-hockey, and even a few handheld instruments, a complete 180 from the other rooms. Maybe this was where cult people got to relax. They were all dressed in the usual cult attire, and hadn’t noticed Min-ho’s presence.

Or so he thought. One guy quickly met his eyes.

“Oi. What’s with you just standin’ there? You didn’t expect us to be here?”

“We just got our break. You’ve gotta share the room with everyone.”

“I’ve never seen your face before... what’s your number?”

Min-ho was suddenly bombarded with questions, and part of him wanted to duck out of there as fast as humanly possible. But... seeing as four people were gathered in one spot...

“Number? Don’t have one. You know Ray? I‘m with him.” Min-ho grinned as he entered the room of now wary believers, who seemed to hunch into themselves.

“Oh yeah, Ray did take in some rando. Weird.”

“Yeah. Had to guard his room yesterday. He’s been given the go.”

“He’s an outsider, then.”

“Sounds mighty suspicious if ya ask me...”

Just about every believer glared at him, but they didn’t shoo him away nor look to be ready to end their game of cards. That meant...

“I just got here so... I don’t really know anything. Sorry.” Min-ho’s smile came flawlessly as he plopped to the ground beside a believer without permission, ignoring how she flinched away ever so slightly. They all had the same, lifeless look in their eyes, but at least these guys looked a little more human. Save for one guy. But Min-ho could work with that. “What’s with this place anyway?”

“...”

“...He was gonna ask about the same thing yesterday too. Maybe he’s just curious.”

“Then he can just ask Mr. Ray.”

“Ray’s busy, ya idiot. He can’t be botherin’ the guy with stupid questions like that when he’s workin’ for our savior.”

Bingo.

“Can I play too? And you mentioned savior...? What’re they like? I don’t know much about them.” Min-ho’s eyes traveled across the four faces, all in some way suspicious of him or curious of him. In any case, they didn’t despise his existence.

“Mm. We’re about done anyway.”

“You just don’t want to lose. We all know you’ve got a shitty hand. Whatever, I’m tired of this game,” The girl scoffed, and the other four seemed to agree. They all piled their cards together before putting them away and turning to Min-ho, who had a sweet smile plastered on his face.

“What’s up?”

The cultist with an accent began. “If you’re gonna be askin’ questions the least you can do is tell us your name.”

“Of course!” Min-ho nodded, although he didn’t feel very comfortable with such... people knowing his name. Still, there was no use in hiding it. Ray already knew everything there was to know about him. “It’s Min-ho. What about you guys?”

“A109!”

“Believer C204.”

“...C267.”

“F067.”

...Those were... what?

“Uh...” How the hell was Min-ho supposed to even remember that? Let alone actually call people by numbers.

“It’s what you’re called around here. Everyone’s got their own,” The lady, A109, explained.

“It tells you what division you work in and when you joined, y’know? Informations, tech, recruitment, guard, housekeepin’, all that,” C2... C204! That guy explained, while Min-ho nodded along.

Interesting.

“That’s... What about Ray?” Min-ho raised an eyebrow. He’s trying to make sense of this place, but he needs context. Then maybe, just maybe he can work his way out.

“K007. But Savior gave him his new name, so we use it,” Min-ho’s previous bodyguard, F067, explained curtly, ignoring Min-ho’s complete and utter confusion.

Different numbers indicated where you worked and when you joined. He understood that much. Ray was special compared to regular members, for whatever reason, but he wasn’t the top dog. He worked for the savior.

...Did that mean Min-ho had to deal with them too? The deeper he delved, the more complicated the entire situation got.

“Savior...?”

“She protects us all. Like a mother. She keeps us from pain, from suffering. She makes us so happy, it’s indescribable. She’s like... like...” The tall guy, C267, shuddered while holding his arms. “The ideal. A dream. A perfect being such as her shouldn’t exist.”

Something about his eyes rubbed Min-ho the wrong way. A crazed, almost pleasurable face took over as he hugged himself with vigor. His eyes themselves looked blown and unfocused, like he was on some kind of drug. He looked worse off than all the others.

His eyes truly lacked any color or substance. If he were unmoving, Min-ho would deem him a dead man without question.

“She gives a mighty fine pay, and her reasonings sound. She doesn’t break promises. She loves all of us, and takes care of us. There’s... really no pain here.” The bodyguard actually laughed, a stark contrast from his cold, stoic nature the day before. He met Min-ho’s eyes, the endless depths of black searching Min-ho’s.

Min-ho hoped he didn’t find what he was looking for.

“I’ve... never met her.” It was hardly louder than a whisper, but everyone perked up at that.

“Well damn. You better get on your knees and beg Ray to have her grace you her presence. You don’t get it ‘til you see the lady for herself, y’know? A few words from her and you’ll get why we love it here.” C204 let out a hearty laugh, and Min-ho followed suit with a chuckle of his own.

...What was it about her? Everyone adored this so-called Savior. Min-ho never heard a single ill comment towards her. It was as though everyone saw her as some kind of divine figure, a being who showered them in endless love and hope.

Like some kind of god.

...How conceited could you be to label yourself a god? To actually preach the idea that you could save someone from pain and suffering? Wasn’t that part of living? Of being human?

And to agree with that idea? Some people... really were gullible. He just didn’t understand how someone could be so easily fooled. How so many people fell for her words. He’s never heard them but... it made no sense.

“Quit yelling. I can hear you all the way down the hall. Didn’t your break end five minutes ago?” A familiar voice cut into the odd atmosphere, snapping everyone out of whatever dream-like trance they were in.

“Mr. Ray!”

“Sorry. We’ll get going.”

A109 and F067 hastily apologized before standing up, dusting off their robes. The other two followed suit, leaving Min-ho to glance back.

“Min-ho! I didn’t think you’d be in here. You didn’t text, so I went ahead and made breakfast on my own.” Ray’s cold glare melted into a sweet smile as he gestured to the cart he wheeled, carrying a neat breakfast platter. An omelette, some sausage, coffee, and even hash brown. Was Ray some kind of top-class chef in disguise? It looked really good...

“Uh... yeah, thanks.” Min-ho wanted to properly express his gratitude but... he couldn’t bring himself to. His situation just made him feel so guarded around Ray.

“Of course! You’ll eat in your room, right? You can walk with me, if you’d like.” The sunny smile Ray showed Min-ho both scared him and made his heart skip a little beat. Yes, Ray was cute and attractive, no argument there.

But he just so happened to be a kidnapper who changed personalities in the blink of an eye.

“Sure thing.” Min-ho yawned and stretched his arms out before getting up, making his way to Ray’s side. Ray casted a quick glance towards Min-ho before returning his gaze to the cart with flushed cheeks. He began pushing it, unable to meet Min-ho’s eye.

...Ray really didn’t play fair.

“I thought about having a proper chef make your food, but I’ve been really excited to cook for you,” Ray admitted giddily like a child, his body having a little bounce to his step as he entered Min-ho’s room after a nod to the guards. He hummed a sweet tune while setting Min-ho’s plate on the table and pouring coffee into a cup, like he was Min-ho’s waiter or something. He even pulled out a chair for him, which Min-ho sat in gratefully.

“A while...?” Min-ho raised an eyebrow, and Ray seemed to pause ever so slightly. His eyes lowered before traveling up to Min-ho’s. They were both dull yet shining with happiness and curiosity. It was like a puppy that had been kicked one too many times but still held the hope a human would pet him.

“I um... I haven’t been outside of Magenta for a long time. Even though we hadn’t known each other, you were so nice when we met. Meeting you was like fate. I just knew I had to choose you then.” A wistful, dreamy smile took over Ray’s expression. He looked so serene, so happy...

“You haven’t been outside? How come?” Min-ho raised an eyebrow, taking another bite of his omelette. He felt trapped after a day. How could Ray stand to be in this isolated place for so long? The people weren’t exactly good company.

“That’s... nothing for you to worry about. I’m just happy you’re here, with me. I want nothing more than you make your stay hospitable so you don’t feel so trapped.” Ray went rigid, like he suddenly remembered he was supposed to be in his ‘formal’ persona.

He wasn’t all that bad when he was completely honest, though.

Min-ho’s gaze drifted to the garden while he took another bite. The flowers almost seemed to glow in the sunlight, radiating a bright, beautiful aura. It was a nice view. The same view Ray probably liked.

“Pretty, isn’t it? Maybe... Maybe I’ll take you to see it. Tonight, even. When I’m not busy.” Ray’s eyes gazed longingly into the garden, his face content. He didn’t look hard, tired, or defeated. He looked almost rejuvenated, like merely looking at the garden was enough to revive him.

“Did you ask about taking care of it?” Min-ho glanced around Ray, but was met with a sad laugh and a barely noticeable nod.

“S-Sort of. Savior just laughed and said I need to work harder before I think about such a thing. ...But it makes me really happy you remembered. It means you listened to me.” Ray’s eyes drifted from the garden to Min-ho, his expression just as bright, if not brighter.

...Work harder?

There was something just... off about that. Something Min-ho was missing. The final piece to the puzzle.

The RFA? Savior?

It was a mystery. One Min-ho wanted crack. God, why’d he get mixed up in all of this? He was emotionally involved enough. If he got any more involved, who knew what crazy shit he’d be thrown into?

“It’d be kind of mean to not listen after asking, don’t you think?” Min-ho ate his meal with vigor, partially due to how good it was and partially to speed up the awkward conversation.

“...Min-ho.” Ray’s words were hardly louder than a whisper, the slightest of cracks accompanying them. He looked almost afraid to speak, as if he wanted Min-ho to pretend he didn’t hear anything.

Min-ho took the bait.

“Ray.” Min-ho finished off the rest of his food platter as he met Ray’s eyes, shaky and hesitant.

“What’s it like?”

“...What’s what like?”

“Being... outside. Living there. Is it hell? Heaven? Do you like it because you’re stable? Strong? Because you have friends?” Ray cracked a little under Min-ho’s straightforward gaze and focused on putting away the plate, keeping his head down. Min-ho took a small sip of his sugar and milk-laden coffee, eyes fixed on the pale table.

...Gullible. That was the word that was at the forefront of Min-ho’s mind but...

Maybe a little bit of fear was in play too. Some form of mass manipulation...

“It’s alright. Better than here. This is kinda like nice vacation place, sure, but nothing beats home. Work, school. friends, family...” Min-ho rested a hand on his chin, eyes traveling away from Ray. Work, friends, family, school. What... would he do about that? Should he ask for help? Should he do what he can online to not cause trouble? It hadn’t really sunk in how much this affected his life. Before, it all just seemed like a fun game. Sneaking around, trying to piece together clues, chatting with the RFA, it was all in good fun.

But his life was put on hold. He was risking his job, his education, and there wasn’t a single soul to confide in that understood his situation.

He was on his own.

...

_He was on his own._

“Min-ho!” Ray’s loud voice brought Min-ho back to reality. He glanced at the guy, who looked at him with acute concern.

“You got quiet... I was worried. Um... I’ll do what I can to provide you with what you need. If you miss your home, I can recreate your room. If your job’s a problem, we can get you one here. I’ll give you whatever you need so... Don’t leave. I promise I’ll get you anything, really.” Ray gave a quiet, pitiful plea. Ray had to understand, didn’t he? He wasn’t an idiot.

“It’s not the same and you know it Ray. If kidnapping wasn’t bad enough...” Min-ho’s eyes went sharp as he studied Ray. Ray went quiet while he tilted his head to the side, eyes drifting up to the ceiling.

“It’s for the greater good. If it means the savior can save you, then it’s okay.” Ray looked so certain. It was a foreign concept to Min-ho, to be so sure in something so utterly ridiculous.

“I don’t want to be saved, and I don’t need to be saved. I don’t want to help you hurt others either...” Min-ho’s face scrunched up as he recalled the RFA. As if on cue, his phone buzzed with another chatroom. He was reluctant to glance at it.

“What do you...? Oh, the RFA. It’s not hurting them, Min-ho. It’s saving them. I wish you understood that our purpose isn’t so bad,” Ray sighed, a mix of irritation and resignation. He put the empty plate and now-empty coffee cup back on the cart and fiddled with the handle while he addressed the only other person in the vast room. “I’ll take you to the garden later, okay? Be good for now.”

That smile was way too forced for Min-ho’s peace of mind. Either way, Ray made his quick escape, giving Min-ho no time to pry more.

Although Min-ho knew a lot more, he was just as, if not more confused than he had been before.

And, per the few buzzes in his pocket, he still had the RFA to deal with. At least they weren’t so bad.

The chatroom apparently had both Jumin and Zen. Zen didn’t really like Jumin, did he? ...Jumin, his boss.

> ZEN: You’re the last person I want to text on a beautiful morning...  
> Jumin Han: Logging out would be the most effective solution.  
> ZEN: Like I’d listen to a jerk like you!!!  
> Jumin Han: I was simply recommending a way to solve your problem. No need to get up on airs  
> ZEN: I hate how chill you always act...
> 
> **Min-ho has entered the chatroom.**
> 
> >Min-ho: Tense. What’s up you two?  
> ZEN: Hey, Min-ho!! Good morning! A beautiful day, isn’t it?  
> Jumin Han: Min-ho, hello.

It was his boss. He was casually chatting with his goddamn _boss_. Not just his boss. Hiss boss’ boss. The big wig. The dude who was to inherit the entire company. He never thought his heart could beat this fast. He wanted to play off his usual charm, but his fingers stubbornly refused and trembled all the while.

> >Min-ho: Itms kinda floomy  
>  >Min-ho: *gloomy  
>  >Min-ho: the sunrise was pretty tho  
> ZEN: Huh, guess we’re in different areas  
> Jumin Han: You’re somewhere where the weather’s currently dark...  
> Jumin Han: I see  
> ZEN: Just talk normally with the guy instead of trying to find out his whereabouts  
> ZEN: Seven and Jaehee already cleared him!  
> ZEN: ✨ and I think he’s cool ^^ ✨  
>  >Min-ho: Fishing for compliments, huh?  
> ZEN: w e l l ...  
>  >Min-ho: Jokes on you. You don’t need to flatter me to get me to tell you you’re enough to brighten my day ;)  
> ZEN: What does that make me, your sun? lolol  
> Jumin Han: He’s quite flirtatious...  
>  >Min-ho: Is thag a bad fhing?  
>  >Min-ho: um  
>  >Min-ho: i mean  
>  >Min-ho: It’s part of my nature...?  
>  >Min-ho: I’m honest with my compliments!  
>  >Min-ho: It’s not just empty flattery. I’m a pretty truthful guy  
>  >Min-ho: ugh;;  
>  >Min-ho: why can’t I shut up...  
> ZEN: Uh;; are you okay, Min-ho?  
> Jumin Han: He’s more chatty than in the previous chats.  
> ZEN: OH!!  
> ZEN: It’s because of you, you prick! Of course you scare him. You’re his boss!  
> Jumin Han: Huh...  
> Jumin Han: Curious.  
> Jumin Han: Assistant Kang doesn’t harbor the same response.  
> ZEN: Not everybody can stand up to you like her...  
> ZEN: I admire Jaehee for that.  
> Jumin Han: Hmm...  
> Jumin Han: Alright.  
> Jumin Han: This is a group messenger Min-ho. I don’t aim to restrict you. You’re welcome to chat freely as you have been doing.  
>  >Min-ho: ...Thanks?  
> ZEN: You don’t understand anything;;;  
> ZEN: ugh, ignore him, Min-ho. How’s your day been?  
>  >Min-ho: Anyone’s day would be 10x better talking to you ^^  
> ZEN: ✨ To cure a bad day with my presence? It must be a gift.✨  
> Jumin Han: I beg to differ.  
> ZEN: No one asked you.  
> Jumin Han: Anyway, Min-ho. You work in the fashion division, correct? Under Chunso?  
>  >Min-ho: Yep  
> Jumin Han: I’ve gathered files on you and had Assistant Kang ask about you. You’re held in high regards. You look to be a valuable member of your team. You’re attending college as well?  
>  >Min-ho: More experience/education = higher probability of job promotion.  
> Jumin Han: And you plan to continue working at our company?  
>  >Min-ho: It’s probably the best job I could get. Definitely!  
> Jumin Han: Hmm. I’d like to go along with Assistant Kang’s idea and arrange a meeting at some point. When will you return back to work?  
>  >Min-ho: That’s to be announced. Stay tuned!  
> ZEN: Personal reasons, remember? Give him a break.  
> Jumin Han: There are still questions we’ve yet to have answered. I’ll ask once more.  
> Jumin Han: **Where are you and how did you download this app?**  
>  Zen: I just said a break! Quit interrogating him!  
>  >Min-ho: Sometines I ask myself the same question...  
> Jumin Han: You said a similar thing to Seven.  
> ZEN: Just let the man keep his secrets for now. We already know what he looks like and just about everything about him. Maybe it’s a sore subject.  
> Jumin Han: I suppose it’s much better than not knowing anything about him  
> ZEN: Exactly! So let’s just get along!  
> Jumin Han: You want to get along?  
> ZEN: **Not with you T_T**  
>  >Min-ho: I wanna get along  
> Jumin Han: Not possible  
>  >Min-ho: Ouch  
> Jumin Han: We can discuss the possibility when we meet face to face.  
>  >Min-ho: I meant as people ! Face to face at work is pretty formal, don’tcha think? Feels more like a work thing than a friend thing  
> Jumin Han: ...I’ll consider it.  
> ZEN: Sheesh, he’s just trying to make peace  
> ZEN: You’re good in my book, Min-ho!  
>  >Min-ho: You’re a lot more than good in mine ;)))  
> ZEN: You don’t waste time, haha !  
> Jumin Han: ...  
>  >Min-ho: I have this funny thing where I’m scared to interact with my boss’ boss  
> Jumin Han: That sounds like a hinderance. You should work to overcome that fear.  
>  >Min-ho: I’m good with funny people. Can you make me laugh?  
> Jumin Han: I’m not Seven  
> ZEN: Seven’s more random than funny...  
>  >Min-ho: What’s up with Seven, anyway? He’s a hacker...? Like;; an actual hacker? Those exist? Not the ethical kind?  
> ZEN: Seven doesn’t really talk about it, so we don’t know too much  
> Jumin Han: He’s a highly skilled hacker. No one even comes close to his skill set, as far as we can tell. He can gather intelligence in an instant.  
> ZEN: He makes jokes about having a dangerous job. Makes me wonder if it’s true...  
> Jumin Han: I doubt it. Even if the pay is good, it’s highly ineffective if all that can be taken away so easily.  
> ZEN: I guess that’s true. But he’s rich !  
>  >Min-ho: Rich?  
> ZEN: Ask him about his cars. You’ll be shocked, trust me.

...Seven was a highly skilled hacker. If Jumin claimed that, it wasn’t all talk. Jumin was a shrewd business man, he’d know talent when he saw it. If Seven was so talented, then what did that make Ray? He was smart enough to completely block off Min-ho’s location and withhold any information regarding his personal life without Min-ho giving permission. He also got Min-ho into a supposedly private app made by a skilled hacker himself.

Was Ray just as good, if not better than Seven? Why would someone so intelligent as him get involved in all of this? Then again, Ray was somewhat naive. Like... book smart, but not street smart. He almost seemed to lack common sense at certain points, like an innocent child.

It was all so weird.

Sighing, Min-ho chatted with the two a little longer before logging off. Zen talked a little about how he didn’t get along with Jumin but enjoyed Yoosung’s company, and Min-ho attempted to make small talk with Jumin, but he chickened out and logged out early. He’d like to one day at least have a normal conversation with him. He already got along well enough with Zen and Yoosung, and Jaehee probably wouldn’t be as suspicious anymore. Seven seemed to enjoy his company regardless. Jumin was still a sore subject.

He hadn’t talked to V one on one yet, besides the phone call.

Min-ho would like to, at some point. There was something about him, this air of mystery that surrounded him. He was really intriguing.

And pretty. But that was besides the point.

Min-ho really wanted to befriend the RFA on both an objective level and personal level. The more he talked to them, the more they fascinated him. Yes, he was forced to talk with them, but it didn’t feel like it was just about him anymore.

He wanted to be their friends.

Letting out a laugh that sounded surprisingly weak, Min-ho scrolled just phone a little before ending up on the internet.

Zen was an actor, wasn’t he? What did the internet say?

He really was an actor, a rising one. He was involved in both plays and musicals, and fans looked to adore him. Some of the pictures from the plays he was in were absolutely breathtaking. Him in a kimono, as an absolutely stunning robot, and... Zorro? Min-ho had no clue what the hell that was, but it was really racy. Zen’s abs looked unreal. Min-ho honestly couldn’t believe it, considering how skinny Zen otherwise looked.

Hyun Ryu. Huh. Satisfied, Min-ho closed his phone and instead opted for his bag.

It still carried all his supplies, thankfully. Laptops, tablet, pen, notebook, sticky notes, it was a familiar comfort in the otherwise foreign enviorment. Just feeling it in his hands made it feel like maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay. Like his life hadn’t crumbled to shambles. It felt like the one thing that grounded him in his otherwise unreal experience.

The laptop, tablet, pen, they all called out to him. Their familiar weights and usage were a breath of fresh air. Even the school work and work for his job he occasionally despised looked so appealing. Anything to remove him from what he prayed would just be a fever dream.

To bask in the familiarity, he opened his laptop and grabbed the necessary supplies to begin on his work. By working on the projects he held off and had been working on for weeks, things felt somewhat... normal.

The normalcy was something he craved in such a foreign environment.

There was nothing else to ground him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every time you edit work you have to fix the block quote spacing;; Wish ao3 fixed that


	4. Trust and Doubt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday Zen! Did y’all see the new home screen? He’s s o cute and handsome, I can’t.

Time was going by ridiculously slow.

Min-ho loved having all the time in the world to work on projects — time was money after all — but when he could only make a few tweaks, it became redundant and a form of escape. He picked on so many details, that not even the toughest critic could find anything wrong with his references.

Okay, he kind of proud of that.

Once a good few hours had passed, Min-ho had to concede defeat and convince himself there was nothing more to do. The room was quiet, almost too quiet. The rain pelting against the window earlier was nice company, but when it left to make way for clear skies, the silence became deafening. Not even the birds wanted to so much as say hello. Min-ho got to see a really pretty rainbow though. He even took a picture.

He completed what Ray had wanted him to do throughout the day. He chatted with the RFA — who were really good company — although it didn’t provide him with any intel. He had no problem bettering his relationship with them, but... his current situation was hard to smile about. With how carefree they were, Min-ho would bet they were completely oblivious to the cult’s doing.

That was good. Sort of. It might be harder to get help, but it meant they had nothing to do with his situation.

The only person Min-ho even mildly suspected was V. But that was only because their chats had been minuscule. A greeting here, a small text there, and that was it. According to Jumin and Yoosung, V hardly entered the chatroom. According to Yoosung, V was a huge liar who likely never loved Rika at all. Ray agreed with the liar part. A _lot_.

Min-ho wasn’t inclined to agree with that. He still did his best to sympathize with Yoosung. He was the youngest RFA member, and the age of Min-ho’s younger siblings. It brought out the brotherly instinct in him. Yoosung was mourning. They all probably were. Yoosung’s methods were just... unhealthy. Really unhealthy. It wasn’t right to accuse someone of never loving their dead fiancé. If Min-ho was V, he’d slap Yoosung into next tomorrow.

Not V though, he seemed really gentle.

How V could stand it was the real question. Min-ho wasn’t a violent man by any means. Despite his physique, he hated violence with a passion. But Yoosung always said a little too much in places that surely stung, enough to where Min-ho surely would’ve argued or fought if he were in V’s shoes. Maybe V was just a saint.

“...Yoosung, Jaehee, Seven, V...” Min-ho quietly repeated the names to himself as he tapped each of their profiles. He wanted to get them all down the first day, since names were never really his forte.

“Jumin, Zen. ...Ray.” Min-ho’s eyes narrowed as he recalled the conversation Ray had butted in on with Zen. For the record, the emojis were cute (as was Zen’s selfie), but the idea of Ray really being able to read everything just... rubbed him the wrong way. As did being helpless. Being unable to ask for help. Being useless... Feeling weak.

His phone - thankfully - buzzed at that moment.

It was definitely the RFA messenger, but it wasn’t a new chatroom. Instead, it was a text alert.

> <V: Hello Min-ho. We didn’t get to chat much, did we?   
> <V: I apologize. I should welcome you better as head of the RFA.

He didn’t expect V to reach out by text. It wasn’t a bad thing. V hadn’t logged in at all today, so a text was a welcome alternative.

> >Min-ho: It’s fine. I got to learn a lot more about the others. They’re fun   
> <V: I’m glad you think so. Now that you’ve been cleared of suspicion, they seem to trust you.   
> >Min-ho: I hope so. Do you?   
> <V: ...Me?   
> >Min-ho: Do you trust me?   
> <V: I... don’t know much about you   
> <V: But you don’t seem like a bad person   
> <V: And all our intelligence on you is normal   
> <V: I’d like to get to know our newest RFA member   
> >Min-ho: Haha, alright. Ask me anything.   
> <V: If you don’t mind, then... what do you like to do? Besides drawing, I mean.   
> >Min-ho: I thought you’d pry more ^^;   
> >Min-ho: I’m an artsy guy. Theatre, music, all that stuff  
> >Min-ho: I’m also a sucker for sweets   
> >Min-ho: and pretty people ;)   
> <V: um...   
> <V: Is that referring to me?   
> <V: I’ll take that as a compliment. Thank you.   
> <V: Art, you say? I’m happy to know someone else shares my passion   
> >Min-ho: You’re a photographer, right?  
> <V: Yes. But ever since Rika left us, well...  
> <V: It’s been hard to get back into it   
> >Min-ho: Sounds rough. I’m sorry.   
> <V: Yeah...

Though Min-ho intended for continue that one-on-one conversation — Ray had knocked on the door. Several times. At least Min-ho assumed it was Ray. No one else really knocked.

“Ray? Come in.”

> >Min-ho: Gotta go, sorry  
> >Min-ho: But if you’re free, I’d love to talk more later. Over the phone or something. Bye.

Just as Min-ho pressed enter, Ray made his showy entrance, his smile somewhat endearing, despite circumstances.

“Min-ho.” Ray gave Min-ho a formal greeting as he eyed his little work set-up on the round table. It made for an adequate work-space.

“Looks like you won’t be eating breakfast there anytime soon.” With a laugh, Ray traveled over to the window, gaze drawn not to the garden, but to the sky.

“...It’s only been a day and a half since you came. But you’ve already cleared the RFA of any suspicions and gained their trust. You’re... much more amazing than I initially thought. You work so hard at everything. Even this, despite...” The way Ray paused and grimaced almost suggested guilt. Even if it did, it changed nothing.

...Okay, maybe it messed with Min-ho’s heart a little, but it didn’t change the situation.

“Anyway. I’ve come to take you to the garden. I’m sure you’d enjoy being outside after being cooped up all day. I finished work early especially for you. Are you ready, Min-ho?” Ray’s voice and gaze was strangely enticing, as if he were ready to lead Min-ho into a sweet, sweet trap, into his own version of paradise. It was both pleasant and uncomfortable.

Min-ho decided to adjourn his cloak, for it helped him blend in better, and sent less looks his way.

“Hmm...” Ray not-so-subtly raked his eyes over Min-ho while he slipped himself into his cloak. It was so obvious, it made Min-ho nearly want to pull down the hood in embarrassment. After a moment or two, Ray finally quit staring at Min-ho with open interest and instead made eye-contact.

“You don’t like the clothes in there, do you? Of course not, you work in the fashion industry. That was a stupid question, sorry. I’ll get you a better wardrobe. Maybe I’ll ask for the savior’s opinion...” Ray looked down, eyes unfocused as he lost himself in thought. In a second, his face turned beet red, and he vehemently shook his head. “A-Anyway, let’s get going. While we still have time.”

They left the compound so easily it felt unfair. With just a card and a passcode (that Ray made sure to cover as he input), they were able to enter the elevator and travel to the first floor. They walked through a nearly deserted foyer until two huge, glass doors come into view, surrounded by windows. He and Ray left through them, with Ray hardly acknowledging the guards that stood to the sides of the doors.

Min-ho was met with a huge gust of air that nearly blew his hood down. He grabbed it, rubbing his arms together as he gazed at the cloudless night sky. It was somewhat chilly, but he was outside. _Outside_. It was amazing how much you could appreciate once you were kidnapped and deprived of things you took for granted.

“You’re not looking. _Look_.” Ray gave Min-ho a gentle shove to direct his gaze towards their destination, and all Min-ho could think was _wow_.

If breath-taking beauty was an image, it’d one hundred percent be this.

The sky was moonless, but hardly devoid of light. Stars twinkled again the deep black settled in the sky, providing light to the flowers that seemed to glitter amidst it. The situation looked straight out of a romance novel, the perfect place for a secret tryst amongst the royal garden. The room view didn’t do it justice.

“Do you like it?” Ray finally met Min-ho’s eyes, any prior embarrassment non-existent. He looked confident, although he toyed with his glove slightly, suggesting he was just a little nervous.

“It’s... really something,” was all Min-ho could manage, but Ray was more than satisfied. He laughed like a playful child and pulled Min-ho over by the cloak to get a closer look at the flowers.

“There’s a lot of flowers here. This is just one section. There’s Geranium, Hydrangea, Antirrhinum — or Snapdragon — and one of my favorites...” Ray stopped by a rose bush, leaving Min-ho to admire the seemingly flawless flowers, then Ray himself, for he stood so tall and proud. He looked radiant against the endless bushes and fields of flowers. But most importantly, he looked comfortable. Like this garden was his home.

“The orange roses. They’re beautiful, aren’t they? They really stand out from all the blue and pink flowers. It’s like... They’re the light to this garden. They help the other flowers shine more brilliantly.” Ray’s gloved fingers inched closer to the bush while he spoke in a daze. “Min-ho. Do you know what orange roses symbolize?”

“Not really, no. I’m not one for flower... meanings.” Min-ho meant to laugh at his own pitiful lack of knowledge, but Ray didn’t pull a face. He looked almost giddy at Min-ho’s expense.

“I’ve been studying up on the language of flowers for a while. I want to memorize them. I always wondered if these were planted with a purpose, with a specific meaning in mind. Did the savior ever think that far?” Ray traced the petal of a rose in full bloom, dew catching on his fingertip. He looked lost in thought before shaking his head and acknowledging Min-ho with an embarrassed smile.

“Sorry sorry. Anyway, orange is bright and lively. These roses symbolize enthusiasm. Excitement.” Ray carefully avoided the thorns as he manipulated a nearly blooming rose bud closer to him. To smell? No, — “and most notably, _desire_.” Ray planted a featherlight kiss on a petal of the bud as he regarded Min-ho with unexpected sensuality. Ray pulled away from the flower slowly, standing to his full height as he studied Min-ho with a curious smile, who was still reeling from the display.

Desire? _Desire_? What happened to the poor guy who turned bright red at just the thought of asking Min-ho to his apartment? Was that a play at Min-ho’s own game? He liked to think he normally had the upper hand in those situations, but then people like Ray came around, and that damn unpredictability caught him off guard. One moment Ray was awkward and shy, the next, confident and graceful, then seductive and alluring. Min-ho couldn’t get a read on the guy, nor could he get a read on his own emotions.

That wasn’t serious. Of course not. It still made Min-ho blush.

As if to confirm his suspicions, Ray’s smiled turned ten time brighter (and 100 times more innocent) as he guided Min-ho to the center of the garden, where a bench sat under a rectangular structure decorated with flower bushes.

“Careful. Some construction workers must’ve left stuff here. I told them to clean, but... I suppose they haven’t finished the job.” Ray let out a sigh that sounded irritated, but his furrowed brows softened soon enough, and his body relaxed while he drank in the sight of the garden. Similar to how Min-ho felt.

The crisp air, the mild chill... It was calming. Something about the atmosphere, the ethereal beauty of it all, was just enough to relax a man.It was perfect, even. He needed this. This experience. This... place.

Running would be a bad call. There were guards at just about every exit. But at least Min-ho knew of a safe haven if things went south.

And if things got desperate, they certainly would.

“Tell me about this place, Ray. About you. And the savior.”

The situation was perfect, just the right amount of comfort and intimacy. They were close enough to nearly touch arms, which definitely had an effect on Ray, for he shifted a little out of embarrassment. If the garden’s effect wasn’t a part of Min-ho’s imagination, it could ease Ray into opening up, just a little.

“Magenta. Magenta is this place, this building, our paradise. This is where those who are lost are saved. ...Mint Eye is... who we are. What we are....You’re the first person I’ve met in a long time who doesn’t belong to Mint Eye.” Ray’s voice grew hoarser with each word, like it became increasingly difficult to continue on with each passing second.

“Do I disappoint?” Min-ho added, raising a curious (and somewhat teasing) eyebrow.

“No! No, you could never!” Min-ho almost felt bad at how desperate he made Ray look, who shook his head frantically, like his life depended on it. “You’re amazing. I... I didn’t mean to choose you for this. I meant to choose someone who would come along willingly. I had my eyes set on this girl, in fact.

“But then I saw you working really hard, and you were attractive so I um... My body just moved on it’s own and approached you. You were so nice, so kind. You listened to me, a-and laughed and... You were my equal. You enjoyed my company, and I loved — and still love — yours. I didn’t want to leave you. But I knew I had to return. So... I chose you for this. Even if it meant forcing you.” Ray’s eyes travelled to his hands, which he clasped together tightly. They were shaking.

“You... were so amazing. Charming. Persuasive. You got along with everyone so easily I became jealous. It’s only been a day and I couldn’t imagine choosing anyone else.

“I knew you’d hate me for tricking you. I know you still do. You can hate me, I don’t mind. Punch me, kick me, do whatever you want. Just please... don’t leave. Don’t leave this place. Don’t leave  _me_.” Ray’s eyes were pleading, desperate as he grabbed as his own sleeves, hugging himself. His entire being wanted, craved something Min-ho couldn’t administer. But Ray still begged, as if he wanted to be hurt, used, dangerously claiming he didn’t care what happened to him long as he wasn’t left. And maybe that was the truth. Who knew? But being told all of this within a 48 hour period of being kidnapped, deprived of freedom, and manipulated into playing Ray’s hands didn’t exactly help with Min-ho’s already somewhat fragile state of mind. Just being the focus of Ray’s unsteady gaze was just a little too much for him to handle on top of everything else. Too, too much. He just...

He couldn’t do it. Not now. He had to clear his mind. With a start, he popped up from his seat like he had been burned. He gracelessly exited the platform, nearly tumbling in the process. All he needed was time to clear his mind. To get away from all his duties, all this crazy stuff going on. But Ray was still there, and just  staring , but..

Wait.

Wait a goddamn minute.

What if...

“...Ray. Do you feel that way ab—“

Looked like luck wasn’t on his side today. His phone chose that very moment to ring with that weird instrumental RFA ringtone, loud enough to completely shatter the delicate atmosphere.

“...You can take it, Min-ho.”

...That was Ray’s way of saying the conversation was over. Min-ho couldn’t push it.

“Right. I’ll... go over there. By myself.” Min-ho let out an awkward laugh and made his hurried escape to a part of the garden where he wasn’t in Ray’s line of sight, nor affected by his presence. He needed to calm himself and talk like normal. He was fine. Just a little shaken, was all.

He was fine.

“Hey V. What’s up?” Min-ho felt his fingers go numb from how tight he was gripping his phone as he answered the call.

“Hello Min-ho. I’m pretty busy today so I was hoping you’d have time to finish our conversation from earlier.”

“Yeah, sure. Just give me a little time and—“

“If you can’t, that’s okay. This... really is the only time I have though. I’d like to make this quick, if possible.”

That was fine by Min-ho, really, but something just kept poking at him, insistently. Or maybe it was more like a little bell ringing in his head. He didn’t really know, he just felt like something was off. Not about V, but about his voice.

It was... Min-ho couldn’t place it. He never met V before, right? Far as Min-ho knew, he was a complete stranger to everyone in the RFA save for Jumin and Jaehee. But something about V just seemed so familiar. Did they meet before?

“I take your lack of response as a good thing? So Min-ho, you and—”

“Woah-!“ Before Min-ho could dodge or catch himself, some dude just crashed into him and knocked them both onto their asses. He must’ve been running, or something, because even his phone went flying, landing right beside Min-ho.

“I’m really sorry! I should’ve been more aware of my surroundings, and not going so fast,” The guy apologized hastily before patting his lap and pockets, realizing he didn’t have his phone about him.

Like the charming gentleman he was, Min-ho handed the phone back to the man, but not without accidentally getting a peek at the caller ID.

...

...

His days just got crappier and crappier as they went on, huh?

Even if Min-ho wanted to deny the name he saw to hell and back, it became impossible when the dude’s hood went flying off due to strong winds and his celeste hair was out for the entire world to see, practically glowing amongst the flowers.

“W-Wait, you’re... Min-ho?” The man, who could be no one other than V, stared at Min-ho with a mix of shock, fear, and disbelief. As though he was somehow the one to have been tricked. It hurt, honestly. It just... hurt.

“...V. Hey. Fancy meeting you here.” Min-ho’s smile was nothing short of forced and twitchy as he ended the call on his end. The two silently stood up, V pulling his hood back up, while Min-ho pulled his down.

“...You’re one of them. Aren’t you?” V could only stare with slumped shoulders as he asked this, his previous shock having morphed into something listless and miserable. That misery was certainly how Min-ho felt on the inside.

And looked on the outside. His smile wasn’t going to convince anyone, nor was his shaky voice that he couldn’t help. Actually, it wasn’t just his voice. His entire body was kind of shaky. The revelation was enough to throw him off balance, metaphorically and literally.

V, The RFA.... He liked them. He really did. So why did V have to go and make things so difficult?

Was listening to Ray the wrong choice? Should he have gone off book and risked it? Was intending to ask the RFA for help stupid of him? Were they all part of Mint Eye in the end? Or... was it just V? Did V deceive the RFA? Did that make V an enemy, and everyone else allies? Or... Min-ho’s head was spinning.

“I... I...” He tried to respond, but he couldn’t manage. Why did V look at him with shock? With pain? Min-ho was the one who was betrayed. Min-ho was the kidnapped one. Min-ho was forced to remain quiet due to the silent threat of _something_ happening to him if he spoke out of turn. So what gave V that right? Who gave V the right?

“I trusted you. I trusted you, V.”

He trusted the RFA, meaning V fell into that group despite being in his own weird little gray area. Honestly. Min-ho had his suspicions before, but he thought the RFA could help. That maybe, just maybe...

“What do you... Are you okay? You look unwell. Do you need something to lean on?” V held out an arm that Min-ho had to physically turn his head away from.

No way. He didn’t want to rely on his enemies any more than he already had. His current luxury was only because Ray had a super soft spot for him. What if Min-ho really became reliant on this—this cult? If he did, then what if his mind began to sway, and he began to believe in Ray, or maybe he’d just give in because of the luxury and—

No. No, he had this. He could handle this.

But V’s arms were just so damn inviting. The offer was sincere looking, and Min-ho was pretty sure he was off-balance anyway. So, with a stumble, he resigned and collapsed heavily into V’s arms, making V fall a few steps back. V made sure to hold him up, and Min-ho could only burrow his head in V’s shoulder. His scent was gentle but fresh, almost icy.

  
“Min-ho... You’re shaking.” V planted his legs slightly apart to accommodate Min-ho’s weight, who had put it all onto V at some point. He was just tired... of everything. This day. This place. This cult. It made his head pulse, in a way where Min-ho could hear his heart drumming in his ears.

“Why are you with them? Why? I don’t get it. The RFA doesn’t know about this, right? Does... that mean you’re working with _them_? With Ray? Did... you know my situation the whole time?” Min-ho forced up his head and glared at V with a mixture of pain and venom he didn’t know he possessed, clutching V’s cloak in anger and as a lifeline. It wasn’t just his trust, but the others. If the others were innocent, then how could V? Betraying his own group? His longtime friends? They were such good people. All of them. It wasn’t right to do that to them too.

“Wait, Min-ho, slow down. Please. ‘Them?’ ‘Ray?’You talk like you’re...” V put his hands over Min-ho’s in what Min-ho thought would be to remove them from his cloak, but instead, he forcefully guided Min-ho deeper into the garden, to an area surrounded by bushes at just the perfect angle to keep them out of view. “You’re not one of them.”

“Of course I’m not. But you are. Which means—“ Min-ho tried to continue, but V relaxed under his grip and let his arms go slack despite what should be a tense situation. For some reason, V’s face suddenly brightened, not with happiness, but with life and confidence.

“I’m not. I’m not a believer at all. And neither are you, thank god. That means you’re... of course. Look, it’s... a long story. One we don’t have time for. Just know that I’m on your side. But I have somewhere I have be right now. My cell service hasn’t been the best, so try to meet me in the chatroom as soon as possible instead of calling, okay? We need to talk.” V ran his thumbs over Min-ho’s knuckles comfortingly, all the while prying Min-ho’s fingers off his cloak in a gentle, guided manner. Min-ho shakily nodded, keeping his wits about him while V sighed in relief.

“Good. I’ll talk to you really soon, ok?” And with those words, V was gone, like he was never even there. He had peeked over the bushes carefully before making a run for it. Where he went? Who knew? Maybe no one knowing was for the better.

There was nothing left now but Min-ho and his aching head. He thought his body’s reaction had been due to the supposed betrayal, but Min-ho wasn’t sure what to think anymore. About his headaches or V. Was V his ally? Or were those just pretty words? What was V’s goal? And what...

“Aha. It really hurts. I think that’s enough for today.” Much as Min-ho loved the garden, he liked his head _not_ hurting even more. So he traversed the (somewhat difficult) maze of the flower bushes back to Ray, who was pacing by the bench frantically, not having noticed Min-ho.

“Do I call security? Did he leave? There are guards everywhere. Did someone think he was an intruder? Did he get lost? Is he— Oh, there you are! You had me worried sick!” The second Ray saw Min-ho, he ran up to him, going into a long lecture about how the garden was huge and how it was easier to get lost than one would think. It all kind of flew over Min-ho’s head as he instead placed a hand on Ray’s shoulder.

“Can we go back now? I’m... tired.” Min-ho was pretty sure he wobbled when he stepped closer, and Ray grabbed his arm to steady him with no hesitation. He moved to stand in front of Min-ho, keeping his gaze while he raised a free hand to the back of Min-ho’s head, burrowing it in his hair.

“Wha-“ Min-ho couldn’t hide his shock at Ray tugged Min-ho head down and pressed their foreheads together. Min-ho was pretty sure they were breathing the same air for a second, but Ray pulled away without a second thought, shaking his head. Did he do that on an impulse or something? He could’ve just taken his gloves off...

His eyes were so vivid. Were they natural?

“Are you sick? You don’t feel like you have a fever... Should I call in the doctor? Do you need anything? Water? Medicine? I can get you a heating pad too. Or a cloth and some ice. What hurts?” Ray continued rambling about all the things he could provide like an overprotective mother as he aided Min-ho back to the compound, holding his arm the entire way. He only let go once they reached Min-ho’s room and Min-ho was safely on the bed.

“I just... I don’t know. I had coffee earlier, right? Then...” Min-ho pressed his fingers to his eyebrows, flinching as a sharp pain ran through his head. If it wasn’t that, then maybe he was coming down with something...?

“Coffee?” Ray raised his eyebrow, bringing fingers to his chin. He looked completely stumped for about two seconds before perking up. “Is it the caffeine? People who are heavily addicted get coffee get caffeine withdrawal symptoms. You drank coffee at the cafe every time we met. No wonder you’re a regular!” Ray looked almost proud of himself, while he began searching through every one of his pockets.

“They’re here somewhere... a-ha!” With a happy exclamation, Ray pulled out a box of some kind of pill case. Opening it, he scoured through it before pulling out a pill and handing it to Min-ho, who stared blankly.

“...Medicine?” Min-ho asked uncertainly, but Ray shook his head.

“Caffeine. It helps me stay awake. I think it’ll work quicker than coffee. I was dumb enough to give you decaf earlier. I won’t make that mistake again, ever. Do you need a drink?” Ray looked ready to dart around the entire compound to get what Min-ho needed, if necessary. Min-ho didn’t really like pushing a guy who had shadows under his eyes 24/7 though, so he popped the pill into his mouth and dry swallowed it no problem.

“Thanks, Ray... After it kicks in, I’ll be fine,” Min-ho sighed and let his head fall flush against the pillow. He was thankful, but considering Ray’s less than healthy physique (he looked malnourished, rather), Min-ho couldn’t help but worry. The guy always looked like he was pushing himself too hard, like he wanted to help in any way possible. He was so eager to please.

“Okay. I have to work, so I have to leave now. I’m happy I got to spend so much time with you, Min-ho. I hope we can do that again!” He leaned over and gave Min-ho a light squeeze on the arm, although it was chillingly cold due to the leather glove. He shot Min-ho multiple glances back before finally exiting the room and shutting the door behind him.

Now, Min-ho was alone. And he needed to log into the RFA messenger, like now.

> ** Min-ho has entered the chatroom. **
> 
> 707: I’ll send you a shipment!   
> Jumin Han: My food nutritionalist will likely throw it away.   
> 707: Oh hey, it’s Min-ho!   
> Jumin Han: Hello, Min-ho.

The most serious guy and the jokester in one chatroom. Min-ho would be excited to see how it played out if it weren’t for V’s surprise introduction. V wasn’t in the chatroom, meaning he had to wait.

> >Min-ho: Hey guys! Do you know if V’s logging in?   
> Jumin Han: V doesn’t log in often   
> 707: He’s like super busy 48/14   
> 707: We should make him appear! Abracadabra V—!   
> Jumin Han: ...   
>  >Min-ho: ...   
> 707: Spell status: failed   
>  >Min-ho: Why don’t you try, Jumin?   
> Jumin Han: Well...   
> Jumin Han: I have been reading about the dark arts lately   
>  >Min-ho: Now there’s a surprise for you   
> 707: Grace us with one of your mighty spells, o cat lord   
> Jumin Han: I’ll pretend you didn’t say that   
> Jumin Han: Telekeappearo magico V   
>  >Min-ho: Huh.
> 
> ** V has entered the chatroom. **
> 
> 707: H-Have I lost my magic touch?   
> V: Min-ho! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Sick? Are you safe?   
>  >Min-ho: I’m fine. But let’s cut to the chase. What was that? What’s with you?   
> 707: ....Did something happen?   
> V: Like I said, it’s a long story...   
> Jumin Han: From the way Min-ho’s talking   
> Jumin Han: It sounds as if you two met.   
> 707: Wait V, you know where Min-ho is? Why didn’t you tell us?!   
> V: I... I do. Yes. We happened to bump into each other. But that’s information I cannot provide. And you shouldn’t either, Min-ho. Not about you, or the hacker.   
>  >Min-ho: Why not?   
> V: It could put you in jeopardy. For now, I need you to let me handle this. I don’t want to risk you in any way.   
> 707: V... What’s going on? You know where Min-ho is and won’t tell us?   
> Jumin Han: You make it sound as though Min-ho knows the hacker   
> V: Well...   
>  >Min-ho: I do   
> 707: ?!?!?!??   
> 707: Why didn’t you say so earlier?? Tell us about them!   
>  >Min-ho: I can’t   
> 707: Huh???   
> 707: Why? Are you protecting them? Are you on their side or something? They’ve been trying to hack this messenger non-stop 24/7!   
> 707: And the fact that you _won’t_ say anything   
> 707: Makes me wary. _Very_ wary.   
> Jumin Han: Luciel, calm down   
> Jumin Han: Min-ho could have a good reason   
> V: That is correct.   
> V: From what I gather   
> V: I believe Min-ho is completely innocent and trustworthy.   
> V: A victim, of sorts.   
> V: He’s not, in any way, our enemy.   
>  >Min-ho: I AM. I’ve been wanting to say that since the beginning...   
> 707: ...I can’t help but remain suspicious   
> Jumin Han: If Min-ho is under some kind of threat, it’s best he keep his mouth shut   
> 707: I guess...   
>  >Min-ho: V. Explain what’s going on. You can’t blame me for being at least a little suspicious. This whole thing’s shady.   
> V: I understand that.   
> V: This is something we should talk about over the phone. I don’t have service right now, so that will have to wait.   
>  >Min-ho: Is that really a good idea?   
> V: Huh?   
> >Min-ho: ...   
> V: I’m unsure of what you were trying to say   
> V: But Min-ho. I’m **not** your enemy. I promise you.   
>  >Min-ho: I don’t know what to think anymore.   
> Jumin Han: Are you implying that we’re your enemies?   
>  >Min-ho: I’m implying that I don’t trust V.   
> 707: Min-ho. I think you should trust him. V doesn’t do anything without good reason.   
> Jumin Han: Agreed. I would place my faith in V regardless.   
> V: Thank you both. That means a lot.   
> V: Min-ho. I know you’re probably confused, scared, and maybe even angry   
> V: But I’m going to ask you to entrust this situation to me. I promise you I’ll be there for you   
>  >Min-ho: I don’t really like relying on other people. Especially people I can’t trust.   
> V: I understand. Neither do I.   
>  >Min-ho: Then don’t make me. Or at least give me a reason to trust you, dammit! Why won’t you give me a reason?   
> V: I can’t talk too much right now. Nor can I say too much up here, for your safety.   
> V: I’m busy. We can talk tomorrow, okay? I’ll explain everything then, I promise. Please, just give me time.   
>  >Min-ho: That’s too long.   
> V: Is it?   
>  >Min-ho: I have a job. And school.   
> V: I’m sure Jumin can handle that once I give him the details. Can’t you, Jumin?   
> Jumin Han: Although I don’t know the context   
> Jumin Han: If it’s you who’s asking, then of course.   
> V: Thank you.   
> V: Luciel, promise me you’ll leave things to me a little while longer? I’ll ask for your help if I need it.   
> 707: This is my specialty. You really don’t want me in on this?   
> V: I know it is.   
> V: But I have to do this myself.   
> V: Min-ho. From now on, you’re my upmost priority. I won’t ask you to trust me, but I hope you’ll hear me out when we finally get to talk.   
>  >Min-ho: Yeah, ok.   
>  >Min-ho: ...   
>  >Min-ho: I’m tired. I need a break.   
>  >Min-ho: Goodnight Jumin, Seven, and V.   
> V: ...Goodnight Min-ho. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.
> 
> ** V has left the the chatroom. **
> 
> Jumin Han: It seems you know more than either of us, Min-ho. Curious.   
>  Jumin Han: The situation appears much more serious than it originally seemed. In any case, goodnight.   
>  Jumin Han: Don’t put yourself in jeopardy.   
>  707: Bye, Min-ho 
> 
> ** Min-ho has left the chatroom **

“Bullshit.” Min-ho cursed, heavily falling into the bed as he shoved his phone under the pillows. V tells him to go to the chatroom so he can explain things, but he explains _nothing_. He claimed he wanted to help Min-ho, but Min-ho didn’t even know if the guy could be trusted. Nice as V was, it was hard to trust anyone who paraded around in a cult get-up. Not that he could talk. But at least he would explain his situation to V if V gave him the time of day.

Yoosung did always say V kept secrets. As did Ray. Min-ho just didn’t understand the severity of those secrets until now.

His phone began buzzing despite how he wished the guys a very clear goodnight. Seven was calling. But wasn’t he suspicious of Min-ho? Min-ho had a long day, but Seven _was_ the brightest of them all. So, out of curiosity and maybe a little guilt, he answered.

“Oh, you actually picked up! You seemed pretty mad in the chatroom, so I didn’t think you’d want to. ...What happened, anyway? I know V said not to pry but I... No, nonono. I’m sorry. I didn’t call you for that. Are you... ok? I’m not really good at this stuff, but...” Seven stammered a little, unusual for him, but at the very least, he sounded sincere, something Min-ho could appreciate (unlike V).

“I’m fine, thanks. Just... confused, I guess. I can’t say a lot. But there’s a lot going on. Haaah, it’s only been two days? It feels like a lifetime.” Min-ho put his forearm over his eyes while he let out a long-winded sigh. Everything was happening too fast. Way, way too fast.

“Ahaha, yeah, I know. I’m sorry for suspecting you earlier, I just saw red, and was angry V didn’t say anything and... If you’re really being monitored by that hacker or something, don’t say anything stupid. Be vigilant! We can even talk in code if you want! My codename can be 606, while yours is 707. Or is that too obvious? Uh... maybe codename: Spaceship and Space station? Codename princess and prince charming! I’m the princess, of course. You can sweep me off my feet!”

“Just name the time and place. I’ll climb any tower of it means I get to save the fair princess.” Min-ho let out a laugh and played along, somewhat comforted by Seven’s random sense of humor.

“Uwahh! My heart’s beating so fast! Be careful, my evil maid-not-stepmother set up a lot of booby traps so no one can enter the tower. I don’t want my fair prince to get injured...”

“Haha. I’ll take any injury long as I get even a glimpse at your beauty. For it’s the greatest treasure aside from thou’s smile, that outshines a thousand suns.”

“Maybe we should do codename Romeo instead! I’ll be your Juliet, fair Montague. ...But they both die in the end, so that’s kinda... uh... er, anyways! Yoosung told me about your video chat idea! That can be really practical, but it might get a little muddled in the full chat. One on one’s always okay, though! I’ve been fighting the hacker, but he took a little break not too long ago, so, drumroll please—!”

“Uh...” Min-ho debated before before loudly banging on his dresser for maximum effect.

“Ta-da!” Another ringing noise came from his phone, which read a prompt that asked if Min-ho wanted to video chat. “Shit, uh...” Min-ho could feel himself tensing up as he searched around his room. He shouldn’t go near the window, for sure, and probably shouldn’t show the entire place. It was way too unique and could possibly cost him everything if Seven got enough info and Ray caught on.

To be safe, he decided to toss his cloak off at godspeed and slither his way under the covers while sitting up so he didn’t move around.

Long as he didn’t spill or show anything, he was fine.

So he answered, and was met with a relaxed Seven holding his phone in one hand while he crunching on chips with the other. He looked surprised the second he saw Min-ho, before his eyes began sparkling.

“Woah. Your room is so pink. It looks like cotton candy!” Seven commented with an intrigued smile, and Min-ho laughed at that. It felt kind of humbling to actually see Seven in the flesh. Pictures were one thing, but actually seeing and talking to Seven face-to-face via video call was different. In a good way.

“Yeah. This place is really fancy, isn’t it? I can’t show you a lot, but it’s pretty. And you probably won’t get my location from the background, if that’s all you were looking for....”

“Woooah, I didn’t want you to think that! I did it because I wanted to talk face to face! You suggested it, right? I thought maybe instead of calls, well...” Seven averted his gaze, his face somewhat guilty as he scratched his head. 

“I didn’t want to accuse you, sorry. Thanks for implementing it! Really quickly too.” He was only in the garden with Ray for at most, an hour. Just how quick was this guy? An update like that couldn’t have possibly taken an hour under normal circumstances.

“Seven-zero-seven, on the case! I can’t update the app like crazy, that gives more places for the hacker to exploit, but a video chat’s nothing. Oh yeah, they practically delete themselves once they’re over, and you can’t screen record them, so they’re more or less private. Also...”

Seven’s voice lowered to a whisper as he brought the phone closer to his ear. “The hacker isn’t back yet, which means he hasn’t accessed this feature. That means this can’t be monitored or checked later.”

Oh. _Oh_. So that was Seven’s devious plan, huh? Min-ho should’ve given the guy more credit. That was actually really of smart.

“So Min-ho, before that hacker pops up. Just tell me this. Are you being monitored? And are you in danger?”

...Should Min-ho answer? Could Min-ho trust Seven’s word over Ray’s? He trusted Seven, of course, but what if he was wrong? What if the video didn’t delete and Ray saw? What if...

Min-ho should quit being so afraid. If he never got home, then it was all for naught.

“I don’t know. I’m fine for now. I... My phone calls are bugged. So’s the chatroom. And messages. I’m not being watched, but... It’s complicated. Tell V for me, alright? Oh, and tell him to meet me in the rec room at 10. In the morning. Don’t ask.” Min-ho spoke so quickly he could hardly understand himself. Rightfully, he was afraid. If Ray found out, he’d be dead. Min-ho wouldn’t say too much, but if V _was_ trustworthy, then maybe it was better they met in secret, so not even Ray knew.

“Hehe, don’t look so scared. I’ll destroy this chat completely so no trace of it’s left, promise. From the bottom of my heart, hacker’s honor!” Seven put his hand on his heart while he spoke jokingly, but he seemed serious enough about his word to relax Min-ho.

He promised, huh? Normally Min-ho wouldn’t believe in something so fragile in this circumstance, but when it came from Seven, it somehow all made sense. Even with chip crumbs on his face and a spare soda can beside him, he looked honest and happy as could be. Just the sweetest thing. It was silly, but now, Min-ho finally, finally had someone to trust in. After feeling so down, it just felt so great, and he couldn’t help a few happy giggles. It was a small chuckle at first, but it broke out into a loud, giddy laugh, like he’s heard the most funny thing in the world. He was pretty sure he sounded borderline-psychotic, but he just kept laughing.

“Uh, Min-ho...?” Seven sounded seriously concerned, but Min-ho kept laughing until he finally wiped away his tears and relaxed into a full own smile, probably his most genuine, honest one yet. He was just so relieved.

“Seven, thank you. I’m not gonna bother explaining why, but thank you. Seriously. If you ever need anything, I’m totally down, just say the word.” Min-ho giggled like a kid and flopped onto the bed, watching how Seven stared in shock before laughing a little himself.

“I don’t really get it, but... you’re welcome. Ooh, I know! You know how we all have emojis in the chatroom? I have to make some for you some too! If you draw them, that’d save me a lot of time. I can do the animating, you just gotta draw! And do a little voice recording. Seem fair?”

“Huh...” Seven’s eyes were certainly sparkling at this opportunity. Everyone used cute little emojis in the chatroom, even Ray. Min-ho got to make his own, then? ...Sounded fun. “Yeah.”

“Great! Text them to me when you’re done, ok? We should surprise the others! Hehe, this is how you know you’re a true RFA member. It’s the unspoken rule! Which means shhh, no spilling.” Seven held a finger to his lips and winked playfully, which Min-ho zipped his lips in turn. Seven was really fun, and this conversation honestly lightened his mood. Even if Seven essentially tasked him with extra work, he didn’t mind.

“Operation cheer up Min-ho is a success! Agent 707’s still got it. Huh?” Seven looked off the screen for a moment, at someone, presumably, since he was nodding. “Yeah, yeah... That’s what you’re here for, isn’t it? ... Thank you for your service! Agh, seriously? I looked away for two seconds!” Seven groaned and rolled up his chip bag before tossing it somewhere off-screen.

“My computer’s showing that the hacker’s returned, so we’ve gotta cut this convo short. Don’t forget the emojis! Oh and uh...” Seven fumbled with something off screen while looking down, appearing somewhat sheepish. “Um... Sorry again about the chatroom. I don’t really, I mean... After talking to you and looking into you, I can say you’re squeaky clean! I’m glad we had this conversation. Because now I can say with confidence that I trust you. Anyway, I’ll see you, Min-ho.”

“...I trust you too, Seven. Bye.” Min-ho gave Seven one final smile and wave before hanging up. His phone call was recorded like normal, but it cut off when the video chat popped up. Totally private, huh? Min-ho was willing to put his faith in a guy like Seven. Even if Seven wasn’t his only hope, he probably still would, and that was the important part.

“Mmm...” Min-ho collapsed back onto his bed while his mind wondered. He had to take a shower at some point. Maybe tonight. Or in the morning. He didn’t really have supplies for his hair though, so it was worse off than yesterday. What was the chance Ray would get him supplies? He’d feel awkward video calling group members with unruly hair. Or talking to Ray, and eventually V.

...Who the hell asks their kidnapper for conditioner? Who in their right mind even considers that? Then again, Ray wasn’t your ordinary kidnapper. If Min-ho sincerely asked, there was a pretty good chance Ray would say yes.

> >Min-ho: Hey, Ray   
> <Ray: Min-ho! I’m happy you’re texting. Need something?   
> >Min-ho: Do you... have any hair supplies? Even the basics works.   
> <Ray: uhm...   
> <Ray: I could acquire some?   
> <Ray: I’d suggest the savior’s supplies, but you have different hair types   
> <Ray: Send me the kind you want, okay? It might take a day or two, but I can get it.

...Was this real? Did that actually work? Min-ho couldn’t tell if he had the greatest kidnapper in the world, or the absolute shittiest one to date. This whole place was one big mystery.

> >Min-ho: I can’t believe this conversation worked...   
> <Ray: I told you to ask for anything if you’re uncomfortable   
> <Ray: I’ll happily provide ^^   
> <Ray: How are you doing so far, Min-ho? Do you think the chats are going well?   
> <Ray: You seemed to have a little disagreement with V. What was that about?   
> >Min-ho: no comment   
> <Ray: sigh...   
> <Ray: I hope that man isn’t planting any strange ideas into your head   
> <Ray: You can’t fall for his lies. He says he’ll save you, that he cares, but he’ll abandon you without a second thought or explanation   
> <Ray: That man cares for no one but himself   
> <Ray: I hope he never sways you. I won’t let him even come close to you.   
> >Min-ho: That sounds threatening   
> <Ray: ...If he decides to interfere, it might be   
> >Min-ho: Is there some personal grudge going on or something? Why do you hate the guy so much?   
> <Ray: That’s...   
> <Ray: I don’t think I should say   
> <Ray: But he’s the absolute worst. You’re only in for pain if you put your faith in him   
> <Ray: I don’t want to see you in pain   
> <Ray: I’d _never_ want to see you in pain   
> <Ray: ...   
> <Ray: Min-ho. Do you hate me now? I’m sure you do, but... I’m curious.   
> >Min-ho: You kidnapped me.   
> >Min-ho: What else’d you expect me to say?   
> <Ray: Of course   
> <Ray: ...Of course   
> <Ray: I wonder...   
> <Ray: Will I ever get to see your smile again?   
> <Ray: It made me feel all warm and fuzzy when we first met   
> <Ray: I never felt like that before...   
> <Ray: No, I shouldn’t be picky   
> <Ray: Just having you around is a gift   
> <Ray: Speaking of gifts...   
> <Ray: You deserve one for working so hard ^^   
> <Ray: Do you like sweets?   
> >Min-ho: ...You should know.   
> <Ray: ...Guess so. Tell me more about your interests some time, okay?   
> <Ray: ...Huh.   
> <Ray: Looks like that redhead added something to the chat. Some kind of video feature?   
> <Ray: He even went to such lengths to make sure the video files are completely corrupted and deleted after calls are done   
> <Ray: How pointless   
> <Ray: I can listen in regardless.   
> <Ray: I have to go and mess with this now.   
> <Ray: I’ve gotta go now, Min-ho. Take care! Call or text if you need anything. There’s always time for you!   
> >Min-ho: Later, Ray.

...That was cold, even for Min-ho. But being all buddy-buddy with your kidnapper wasn’t desirable either. He felt like a dick after Ray was so nice, though. Or was that Stockholm Syndrome again? Gaah, how the hell did any of this kidnapping stuff work?! Why was it so confusing?

“Ugh, I need sleep,” Min-ho nodded firmly, deciding he finally needed to pay attention to himself. He was up ‘til two yesterday and slept in until almost noon. No way was he doing that to his body again. He’d sleep, wake up bright and early, shower, and confront V, finally getting the truth. He had it all planned in his head, the billions of ways it could go down, from V being the most innocent man there was to in fact, pulling the strings of the savior.

He should stop letting his mind run rampant. It just made Min-ho more nervous. Everything would probably be fine, and if it wasn’t, he still trusted Seven and the rest of the RFA.

That’s right. He wasn’t alone anymore. He had Seven, and Jumin, and Yoosung and Jaehee and Zen. Surely with their support, he’d be fine, right?

Relying on that knowledge, Min-ho let himself fall into a peaceful, pleasant dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok but did you guys ever notice just how much you could ship the guys together in Another Story? Like there’s a point where you can ask Zen if he likes Jumin, you can comment on how well Zen and Yoosung get along a /lot/, and you can ask Jumin when he and V are getting married lmao. Cheritz is hyper-aware of their fanbase.


	5. Beauty in Art

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Help I replayed Seven’s route and now I gotta do Secret End 1 and 2 but I don’t wanna watch V get screwed over 500+ times again.
> 
> On another note, [here](https://files.catbox.moe/pxcqhw.jpeg) is a quick sketch for anyone curious of what Min-ho looks like. Did his design originate from the redhead MC? Yes, yes it did ^^

Today felt eerily calm. Maybe it was due to the sunny, serene weather outside. Or maybe it was because having breakfast served with Ray acting as his own personal butler was the most ‘normal’ occurrence out of the past few days.

It was Monday now. The night was peaceful, and the day came faster than he’d wish. That wouldn’t be a problem if Min-ho was doing what he was _supposed_ be doing, like work, for instance.

Instead he was eating pancakes in awkward silence, locked in a castle like some damsel in distress. Part of him wondered if this was even real life. It just felt so... surreal. Sure, you hear stories of cults and their weird recruitments, but you don’t actually expect that stuff to happen to you. Who the hell wakes up ready to be taken to a cult? Who legitimately considers that possibility? If Ray weren’t present, Min-ho would convince himself this was all one weird dream.

Actually, the poor guy looked really out of it. He tried to stand straight, but he’d sway from time to time before catching himself. Then he’d rub his eyes and fail at stifling a yawn, which he’d apologize for. Ray always looked like he’s never been good on sleep, but today’s probably the worst he’s ever looked. His shadows were twice as dark as usual, as if they weren’t already dark enough before.

“You tired? You can sit down. I don’t mind.” Min-ho gestured to the plush seat across from him, but Ray wouldn’t sit, stubbornly shaking his head.

“No, I couldn’t. Don’t worry about me, I’m fine! Oh, but if I’m annoying you, I can leave. Is that it? You must be tired of me looking so exhausted, huh? Sorry... haha...” Ray looked ready to bolt it through that door if necessary, which it wasn’t. Not at all. Sheesh, what got into him? Normally he was pretty confident in visiting Min-ho. It was weird to see him so... docile.

“I never said that. C’mon man, sit down already.” Min-ho pat the table, shooting Ray a testing look. Ray flinched at that, but shuffled over and sat down regardless. They stayed like that for a while, Min-ho eating while Ray spaced out every two seconds. It wasn’t bad. It was still oddly quiet, but Min-ho liked Ray sitting across from him like a dining partner rather than standing like some waiter.

“Did you sleep? You always look so tired. And thin. Did you eat?” Min-ho pointed his fork at Ray while asking these questions, who snapped out of his daze and blinked in surprise. He quickly hunched into himself and averted his gaze, calmly responding.

“Of course. I got a full two hours. I ate some crackers in the middle of the night too. I’ll be fine.” Ray sat straight up, undisturbed by the implications of his words. His body _clearly_ was disturbed by his habits, even if his mind wasn’t. Ray needed to take care of himself more. Not that Min-ho should care. But he couldn’t not care. He couldn’t like Ray, that’d be bad, but any thought of pain or suffering coming about Ray made Min-ho’s stomach churn in the most unpleasant of ways. His heart ached even more at the sight of Ray neglecting his health.

“You think that’s a lot? That’s nothing. ...Here, eat this. You never make any food for yourself. If you’re gonna stay, eat while you’re at it.” Min-ho pushed his plate towards Ray, which contained a full pancake and a biscuit along with some bacon. It wasn’t as much he’d like to give, but it was what he had left after eating a few pancakes and the sausage that came along with it. That should be enough for Ray, right?

“I don’t—“

“Don’t give me your excuses. And don’t let it go to waste.” Ray needed to be told point blank for these things. He’d ignore it otherwise. Min-ho was pretty good at looking stern, thankfully.

“But I can’t just.... Ok, ok! I’m sorry. Thank you.” Ray gave in when he saw how Min-ho feigned hurt at Ray’s denial. Reluctantly, he started eating pieces of pancake. It only took one bite before he began shoveling it in his mouth like his life depended on it.

Good, he was eating. Min-ho was still battling the whole argument in his head on whether he should be nice to Ray or not, but he couldn’t sit and watch someone so small neglect their health without at least _trying_ to help. He wasn’t heartless.

...Ray really did look just like a kid when he ate. How old was he? Twenty-one? There wasn’t a big age gap at all between the two of them. If anything, their similar ages should grant Min-ho some semblance of understanding. But heir beliefs and common sense radically differed. Their core values completely contrasted each other. Ray wasn’t the same as Min-ho’s friends or upperclassmen. Ray was in an entire different category of his own. He both gave off the aura of someone completely innocent, and someone who’s seen the depths of hell. Is that why he clings so badly to makeshift paradise? Why he’s willing to bend and break himself to complete his job in turn of recognition? It didn’t explain why he was willing to do the same for Min-ho, who had absolutely no power over him. In fact, Ray had all the power to spare, and more. Yet he’d endure anything to keep Min-ho around, something more sad than scary. Did... Ray have no intention of forcing him to stay? Ray could easily do so, but he’s never once hinted at forcing Min-ho to stay once the party was held.

“Mmm...” Min-ho nodded absentmindedly at that, poking at his phone that sat face up on the round table. The more he let his mind wander, the deeper he dug a grave for himself. He also found his eyes would study his subject of interest while he theorized in his mind. The. subject, in question, would turn a light shade of pink, which would catch Min-ho’s eye and snap him out of his stupor. Theorizing was nothing. What Min-ho needed was evidence. Proof. Valuable information.

So trying to read Ray was a waste of time. Should he check the messenger instead? He got a notification a little while ago that a chatroom had opened, but he had been eating, so he refrained from entering. Now that Ray ate, quite vigorously, might he add, he had time to spare. It was around seven or eight, so he had some time before he had to meet up with V, assuming Seven relayed the message.

“Mind if I log into a chatroom?” Min-ho spared Ray a small glance, though his attention was taken by his phone. Zen and Jaehee were in the chatroom. An interesting pair, for sure. Min-ho didn’t get to chat with Jaehee much, but he was pretty sure she was a fan of Zen, if her reactions to him in yesterday’s chats were any indication.

“...I’m here and you want to look at the chat instead?” Ray sighed and slowly put his fork down on the now empty plate. His entire demeanor seemed to drop. He looked genuinely hurt from the harmless question.

“Uh...” Who said Ray could play the guilt card? It wouldn’t bother Min-ho if Ray wasn’t so damn _good_ at it. Maybe it was something about that weird innocence Ray possessed, but Min-ho couldn’t rid himself of this guilt that clawed at him. With Ray’s lack of engagement, Min-ho was more than inclined to think Ray just enjoyed the silence. Was he craving a conversation this entire time? Perhaps he was bouncing his leg in anticipation without Min-ho’s notice. Or maybe he didn’t devour his food so quickly purely because he was hungry, but to lengthen the time they had to chat. Min-ho was supposed to be good at noticing these things. He couldn’t lose his game now.

Ray never once spoke. He must’ve wanted Min-ho to initiate the conversation.

“Sorry. You were quiet, so I thought you wanted a little time to yourself. Did you wanna talk? What’s up, Ray?” Min-ho’s attempts are conversation were anything but appreciated. Did Ray fall deeper and deeper into despair with each word? His face assumed that. As did the way he subtly shook his head.

“I didn’t mean to make you feel awkward. Um... you can look at the chat. It’s fine.” Ray’s leg was certainly bouncing now, and his fingers fiddled with the edge of the table while he tried to subtly move his seat away from the table. He was like a trapped animal waiting for a chance to escape. Did this make Min-ho the predator? He didn’t wish to capture Ray, but he had no intention of letting Ray leave so soon either.

“Ray, you’ve gotta talk to me. Do you want to make conversation or not? I’m not a mind reader. If there’s something you want to tell me, spit it out already.” Ray’s shock suggested that he didn’t expect Min-ho’s words to be so aggressive. They weren’t cruel, just honest. You’d think Ray was insulted from how he cowered and squeaked out an answer.

“...I don’t know. I don’t know what I want to say, Min-ho. But I want to talk. I want to be near you. I like your presence, I...” Ray clenched his fists atop the table, gritting his teeth in a way that made him appear anguished. “I’m sorry. I know I’m probably annoying and a burden and you probably don’t want anything to do with me. But I want everything to do with you. I shouldn’t say this, but... I want to make you happy. I want to make it so you never want to leave. ...Maybe I’m just not enough to satisfy you. Am I? Even if I’m not, I’ll do everything I can, so please...” Ray trailed off, but it was easy to guess his next words. It seemed to be his motto at this point.

Ray was... difficult. He was smart, but incredibly naive. He was kind, but only to a certain extent. He was so open, too open, even, but simultaneously kept so much hidden. He wore his emotions on his sleeves, but would never let Min-ho pry any deeper. Every part of Ray was an antithesis of itself. It’s what made Ray so dangerous. He was predictable to an extent, but... Min-ho never knew what to expect.

Min-ho wanted to know what to expect. He wanted to come to understand this man. If not for his own peace of mind, then for the excuse of it aiding his eventual escape.

Yeah, that’s it. He could be nice to Ray if it helped him escape. Of course! Sucking up to your kidnapper wasn’t uncommon. Why shouldn’t Min-ho try the same? He was an old pro at gaining trust at this point.

All he had to do was make Ray trust him.

“You want me to stay really bad, Ray...” Min-ho’s gentle voice was equally as unexpected for Ray, who nearly hopped out of his seat when Min-ho rested his hand on top of Ray’s from across the table. Ray’s lack of being able to read the situation was certainly for the better. Ray was perceptive to even the tiniest of changes, and too much could render him suspicious

“But why don’t you want to leave? Is this place really that great? You don’t get enough food or sleep. You don’t even get to take care of the garden you love. You said the Savior told you to work harder but... Don’t you think you’re already working hard enough? I think you’ve worked really hard, with all the trouble you seem to give Seven.” Min-ho soothingly ran his fingers over Ray’s knuckles, which seemed to relax him, although his face still looked tense as he looked at Min-ho incredulously.

“You don’t know what you’re suggesting, do you? I can’t leave. How could I? I’ve already lived in your world. I wasn’t made for it. I’m weak, useless, and nothing but a burden to society... to everyone. It’s all I ever would’ve been. But... in Magenta... I actually have a purpose. I’m not just a burden, I can be useful, and I have a reason to live.“ Ray’s facial features relaxed into a smile while he opened his fist and opted to take Min-ho’s hand, tilting his head with a much too sweet grin.

“You probably don’t get it since you’re strong. I bet you grew up in a loving family. For the weak and abandoned, like me, this place really is paradise. It’s my salvation. I doubt I’d even be alive if it weren’t for this place. And especially for the Savior. But I think this place can befit anyone regardless of strength. Everyone deserves a chance at salvation.” Ray chuckled and stood up, moving from his side of the table to Min-ho’s. Ray grasping both of Min-ho’s hands almost felt natural with how casually Ray managed to do so.

“Thank you for the food. I’ll make you something even better later to make up for it. I also got you the supplies you wanted. I placed them on the dresser before I woke you. Um... I think that’s it. I have to get back to work. Text or call me if anything happens. I’ll check into the chatroom when I have time too. Ok? Bye, I’ll see you later.” Ray gave Min-ho’s hands a little extra squeeze before pulling back and gathering the empty plate and mug onto his cart. With all his items in tow, Ray was able to exit as quick as ever, never sparing a moment for Min-ho to resist his escape. Even if the chat was quick, Min-ho couldn’t say he regretted it. The implications of paradise weren’t something Min-ho even wanted to consider, but despite how odd a conversation partner Ray was, it was incredibly easy to speak to him. Ray liked monologues so he could get all his ideas out there. Min-ho listened more than he was willing to speak, so they made a good match.

Didn’t make Ray’s thoughts any less weird or borderline obsessive, but was there anything Min-ho could do about something so deeply rooted in Ray? Something that defined his being? Maybe learning more about Ray could give him a glimpse into the mentality of this place. If Min-ho could connect on a deeper level with the people here, he could see how the Savior managed to ensnare so many.

That was as good a question as asking who the Savior was to begin with. Just who managed to ensnare so many?

“The chat.” Some news notification drew Min-ho’s attention away from his inner thoughts and towards the messenger, which was still open. Zen and Jaehee were still in the chatroom, thankfully.

> ZEN: But I didn’t get a callback  
> Jaehee Kang: I’m sure your talents will shine elsewhere, even if they don’t appreciate them.  
> Jaehee Kang: For the record, I certainly do ^^  
> ZEN: Haha, thank you
> 
> **Min-ho has entered the chatroom.**
> 
> >Min-ho: That’s right!  
>  >Min-ho: I don’t know the context, but Zen’s expertise will definitely shine!  
>  >Min-ho: Heed Jaehee’s words. Your #1 fan knows best!  
> Jaehee Kang: Number 1...?  
> Jaehee Kang: I’m sure other people support Zen just as I do  
> Jaehee Kang: Although...  
> Jaehee Kang: ...I quite like that title.  
> ZEN: When you guys say it like that, I start to believe it  
> ZEN: ✨My talent will surely shine elsewhere✨  
> ZEN: Thanks, both of you  
> Jaehee Kang: Of course.  
> Jaehee Kang: And welcome, Min-ho.  
> Jaehee Kang: You seem a lot better compared to last night’s chat  
> ZEN: Oh yeah, this whole situation kinda did a 180  
> ZEN: You were pretty mad at V  
> ZEN: How come? Did he do something?  
> ZEN: I’m honestly kinda shocked. You’re always so chill, never expected you to look so angry  
> Jaehee Kang: Remember that Min-ho can’t disclose too much on himself  
> Jaehee Kang: Although we do know that his situation is dire enough to where he can’t attend work  
> Jaehee Kang: Which is... concerning, to say the least  
> Jaehee Kang: Are you ok, Min-ho?  
>  >Min-ho: Uh yeah, I’m fine  
>  >Min-ho: I was just kinda pissed. V didn’t explain himself, so I couldn’t figure him out  
>  >Min-ho: Is he really on my side?  
>  >Min-ho: Or is he just saying that to save his own skin?  
>  >Min-ho: I trust you guys, but V’s a different story  
>  >Min-ho: I wanna trust him. He’s my best bet.  
> Jaehee Kang: Best bet?  
>  >Min-ho: ...Nothing  
>  >Min-ho: Sorry for ranting...  
>  >Min-ho: Enough of my woes  
>  >Min-ho: Conversation topic change!
> 
> **Yoosung★ has entered the chatroom.**
> 
> >Min-ho: P e r f e c t  
>  >Min-ho: You have impeccable timing, Yoosung  
>  >Min-ho: Quick, say something cute!  
> Yoosung★: Umm  
> Yoosung★: Uhh  
> Yoosung★: My mind’s at a blank, sorry... ;~;  
>  >Min-ho: Aww, you’re cute regardless ^^  
> Yoosung★: Uh... thank you, I think?  
> Jaehee Kang: Hello Yoosung  
> ZEN: Hey man  
> Yoosung★: Hey guys!  
> Yoosung★: What’re you all up to?  
> Jaehee Kang: Work is continuing as usual. Now that Min-ho’s been thoroughly researched, we can safely say he’s trustworthy.  
>  >Min-ho: Woo!  
> ZEN: I think he was trustworthy from the beginning. He never seemed like a bad guy, y’know?  
> Yoosung★: Yeah! And now we can even video chat, so that’s gotta be better, right?  
> Yoosung★: I can’t do it on my phone, but Seven made it so I can connect my phone to my computer and use that! I’ve still gotta be home...  
>  >Min-ho: I meant to ask  
>  >Min-ho: What kind of phone do you have?  
> ZEN: Here we go...  
> Jaehee Kang: It’s practical, cost-wise. Yoosung’s still in college, after all.  
>  >Min-ho: ?  
> Yoosung★: I have a flip phone...  
>  >Min-ho: _Dude._  
>  >Min-ho: I had that when I was like ten  
> Yoosung★: I know, it’s old! I’m saving up for a new one, ok?  
> ZEN: Isn’t Min-ho in college too?  
> Jaehee Kang: Yes, but he’s a graduate student, and has already secured a stable job  
> ZEN: So all Yoosung’s gotta do is get interned at C&R, right?  
> ZEN: Jumin mentioned that he’d do it before  
> Jaehee Kang: It’s not that easy. You still have to meet qualifications to be hired  
> Yoosung★: All for a better phone...  
> Yoosung★: Jaehee, teach me your ways!  
> Yoosung★: You too, Min-ho!  
> ZEN: And I’m just here T_T  
> Jaehee Kang: Well...  
> Jaehee Kang: It depends on what position you apply for. As Mr. Han’s assistant, you have to be clean, punctual, and follow a very, very rigorous schedule  
> ZEN: With such a good assistant, you’d think he wouldn’t treat her like dirt  
> ZEN: Doesn’t matter how much money you give  
> ZEN: If you’re a shit boss, no one’s gonna work for you  
> Yoosung★: I... do think Jaehee should be treated better  
> Yoosung★: You always seem overworked!  
>  >Min-ho: You’re an amazing employee Jaehee! Even if the boss doesn’t seem to appreciate it.  
> Jaehee Kang: Well... Thank you  
> Jaehee Kang: That’s very nice to hear ^^  
> Jaehee Kang: I do wish Mr. Han wouldn’t make such last minute changes at times  
> Jaehee Kang: Or come up with so many cat projects...  
>  >Min-ho: Cat... projects?  
> Jaehee Kang: It’s exactly as it sounds  
> ZEN: Ugh, I hate just reading about those  
> ZEN: Makes me sneeze  
>  >Min-ho: Sneeze? Are you allergic?  
> ZEN: Yeah! And that bastard still has the nerve to think it’s all in my head! My face looked awful when he brought his cat to that one party!  
> Yoosung★: Oh yeah, I remember that!  
> Jaehee Kang: Such a tragedy should have never befallen your face...  
>  >Min-ho: Haha, you guys are fun  
>  >Min-ho: I like chatting here. Be sure to recommend me more guests too, ok?  
>  >Min-ho: Aw crap, I have to go.  
>  >Min-ho: Don’t bother asking me about a guest. Just send them my way!  
>  >Min-ho: Later, you three!  
> Jaehee Kang: Our party has been getting more mythical by the minute...  
> Jaehee Kang: Goodbye, Min-ho.  
> Yoosung★: Bye, Min-ho  
> ZEN: Later!
> 
> **Min-ho has left the chatroom.**

He was so distracted by chatting with those guys, he didn’t even think to look at the time. He had a good hour before he had to rush to the rec room, enough to freshen himself up. Min-ho made sure to gather all the necessities, including clothing, a cloak, and his hair products, before rushing into the shower.

A quick wash later and Min-ho was ready to seize the day, bright, fresh, and definitely pulling off the cult look. Not that he wanted to join a cult. He was just really attached to his cloak. Could he keep it once he left? It’d make for a great costume.

“Oh crap, it’s almost ten.” A small glance at his phone and Min-ho didn’t even think twice about leaving, exiting his room with astounding speed.

“Hey F067. Bye F067!” Min-ho greeted the man who guarded his room once again with vigor while he sped through the corridor, nearly bumping into a few cultists in his rush. On the bright side, he recognized one and was able to greet her. Although he blanked out on her number for a few seconds. It’d be a lot easier if they went by their actual names...

It was a turn here, right? Yeah, this way. Then it was one... two... the third door. Confident, Min-ho entered the recreational room, which was thankfully empty. He closed the door behind him just for good measure, scanning all the available items. Ping pong looked pretty fun, but so did air hockey... Would V be up for a round? Or any cultist for that matter?

The instruments were pretty cool too. Min-ho approached the corner where they all sat, sorting through them curiously. A lyre, a guitar, another guitar, a bell kit, and an ukulele. A violin too. String instruments were pretty popular amongst the cult crowd.

Maybe Min-ho could try a few out? He wasn’t a music expert or anything, but he knew how to play guitar pretty well. And although the guitars looked the same... the pick guards were on different sides, which meant... one was left-handed! It was rare to find those kinds of guitars in the wild. In a cult no less.

“Hmm...” Min-ho picked it up experimentally and took a seat in one of the couches, quietly strumming a chord. It didn’t sound out of tune... They weren’t reserved for anyone, right? They were in the room, so they had to be free for everyone to play. That was pretty cool, honestly. If this weren’t a cult, Min-ho would sincerely like it here.

...Maybe part of him already did.

“Excuse me.” A tall and very familiar figure made a hurried entrance, nearly slamming the door behind him before letting out a long sigh. He took a moment to catch his breath before looking up to find Min-ho.

....Right. V.

“You’re already here, good. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get away. ...I suppose I have a lot to explain, huh?” V’s awkward laugh helped no one as he took a seat beside Min-ho and took off his hood. He angled himself towards Min-ho and met his eyes confidently, appearing serious about all of this. He looked sincere enough, so Min-ho decided to regard V with the same respect and place the guitar next to him, whilst giving V his undivided attention.

“Yeah, you do. ...I want you to explain yourself first. Then I’ll explain myself.” Min-ho’s fingers craved to play with something, anything while they tugged on his jeans anxiously. Was it the atmosphere? He wasn’t really used to confronting people so... openly. It worked out well in his head, but he couldn’t ease his nerves, or ease the butterflies in his stomach that _really_ weren’t welcome there.

“That’s fair. This isn’t the first time we’ve met, but I should introduce myself properly. You might know this already, but my real name is Jihyun Kim. I go by V. I’m a photographer and the head of the RFA. It’s nice to meet you.” V held out a hand, and Min-ho took it in a gentle, fragile shake. Was the fragility from his end, or V’s?

“Um... My name’s Min-ho Heung. I’m a graphic designer and work in the fashion division of C&R. But you knew most of that too.” Min-ho greeted V, but it felt awkward and forced. Still, he got through it, and V clenched his jaw. He was ready to talk business.

“This is around the time believers say their prayers if they’re not busy, so we should have some privacy.” V took a moment to collect himself, which Min-ho respected.  
“Alright, I’ll just get into it. There’s a few things you should know. This place and the RFA... They’re connected. I can’t say why or how yet, but you deserve to know at least that much. I’ve been infiltrating this place for a long time, gathering intel ever since Rika left us. I’m not a part of it, not in the least, but I’ve been investigating everything going on here.” V didn’t show any signs of lying, he just looked a little nervous. Did he feel just as awkward as Min-ho? Good to know the nerves liked to travel around.

Infiltration sort of made sense but... not really. There was a lot more going on, and if V had any clue, Min-ho wanted to know.

“Why? What does this place have to do with you? It doesn’t seem like the other guys know about this place, so... Why do you? Why are you here?” Min-ho took a deep breath in a faulty attempt in easing his unsettled stomach. It just made his nerves multiply tenfold. It hindered his rational thinking. He was trying to find out if V was an enemy or not, he needed to get a grip and quit being such a wuss.

V took in Min-ho’s barrage of questions without complaint, closing his eyes. He took a deep breath through his lips while his eyebrows furrowed. With hardly a sound, he exhaled and met Min-ho’s eyes stubbornly. “If I tell you that, then you’ll know how this place connects to the RFA. I can’t tell you that, not yet. It’s both for their peace of mind and your safety.” V seemed genuine, but Min-ho couldn’t help but think it sounded like a bunch of excuses to obscure the truth. He promise he’d hear V out though, so he tried his best to reason.

“...Fine. It still sounds like an excuse, but I’ll give it to you. So why was I dragged into this? It’s not like I have anything to do with this. Was it really necessary for Ray to drug and kidnap me to bring me here?” Min-ho’s voice sounded tougher than usual, a little more throatier. It was louder, more poking. No, more like piercing. V remained calm all the while. His eyes still looked as gentle as they did when he entered the room.

“Of course not. You have nothing to do with this. I don’t know why they decided to involve you. I’m sorry that you were dragged into this.” V finally broke Min-ho’s gaze, his eyes trailing downward. “Thank god I agreed to have the party. I’m so glad I trusted my intuition. I don’t know what they plan to do here but... I’ll get you out of here. It’s too risky now. There’s guards at every corner, and security’s doubled ever since you came. But I’ll save you, I promise.” V put a hand on Min-ho’s arm to emphasize his point, meeting Min-ho’s clumsy gaze with his own, determined fire. That was great and all, but... things just didn’t add up.

“...Why can’t you just call the police? Kidnapping’s illegal. I can’t call them, but you can.” That seemed like the easiest, most logical conclusion. Why hadn’t V done that this entire time?

“I can’t. Everyone follows the Savior here. If she told them to take the fall, they would. So many things could go wrong. Then you and he would get caught in the mix...” He? But if V wanted to elaborate, he would. It was easy to see how careful he was with words. V only said the things he was willing to disclose, nothing more, even if he let a bit slip here and there.

Min-ho truly wished to call bullshit on his words, perhaps out of a natural distrust for V, but the idea was entirely feasible. The Savior could easily order all her followers to play innocent or guilty. Who’s to say they’d even rat out the Savior? If anything, such devoted followers would protect her at any cost. God, this was messed up.

“T-Then what about Jumin? Can’t he use his influence to... I don’t know... Do _something_?” Desperate never looked good on a man, but did Min-ho really care when so much was on the line? He had to grasp V’s sleeve to get his point across.

“Perhaps. But that method involves informing everyone in the RFA. I need a little more time to try and sort things out before we get to that point. You’re probably frustrated with me, and I’m sorry I can’t do more for you. But just know that your safety is my top priority. I’ve been worried sick wondering if you were alright, if they were treating you well...” V’s eyes were the brightest, prettiest color Min-ho’s ever borne witness to, but they somehow looked so dull, so clouded. He lost that sparkle present in all his past pictures, if it ever truly existed.

“If they try to give you anything strange, don’t take it. There’s this thing here they call the ‘elixir of salvation’. You can’t take it, no matter what. Ok? If the food and drinks they give you start making you sick, stop consuming them immediately. Don’t pick fights or start trouble either. You can’t draw negative attention to yourself. Be sure to get enough sleep too. You look like you’re developing shadows. Is this situation messing with your sleep? You need to keep up your health for when we escape.” V reached over and took Min-ho’s face in his hands, running thumbs under his eyes in concern. His hands were calloused, but they sat comfortably on Min-ho’s cheeks.

“Uh...” Min-ho wasn’t really sure where to look. He couldn’t look at V. He’d end up blushing. But wasn’t he already blushing? Why did V have to lean in so close? By the concerned look on V’s face, it was clear he didn’t even realize what he was doing. He fussed over Min-ho just as much as Ray, although his concerns were a little more practical, if not overbearing. It wasn’t a bad thing. Definitely not. It was kind of cute, honestly. And with V so close, Min-ho could study just how pretty the man was.

His hair and eyes had to be natural, no way was it dye. But it was such a rare hair color, it was hard to believe. Min-ho never saw it on anyone else. Ever. V wasn’t just pretty, he was absolutely stunning. Probably the prettiest person Min-ho’s ever met. V’s beauty resembled a fine piece of art, something Min-ho could stare at forever and never tire.

...He really wanted to touch V. Not in that way. Just his face, maybe, and his hair. It looked soft. He was so mesmerizing, Min-ho was kind of at a lost. Zen himself was the perfect mixture of hot and gorgeous, but he was more like an actor you could fawn over. V was a piece of artwork you just wanted to admire until the end of time and someday recreate yourself.

“V...” Min-ho only noticed he had covered V’s hands with his own when V‘s eyes went comically wide. V stared blankly before audibly gasping and immediately pulling away, stuffing his hands into his lap.

“S-Sorry. I didn’t even realize. Um... I... R-Right. You looked sick yesterday when we met. Are you okay?” Their first encounter was certainly... unconventional, so V’s concerns weren’t unfounded. In the event that they were, Min-ho would still find the frets adorable in their own right.

“Yeah. Just withdrawal.“ Min-ho only meant to state an innocent claim, but V’s face instantly went rigid. Those implications were completely off, and hopefully weren’t heavily considered.

“From caffeine.” V’s shoulders relaxed in time with his large exhale. Offense should be taken, but after that whole ‘elixir of salvation’ speak, it became difficult to argue. To what that entailed would be something to speak to Ray about, and to not get physically involved with.

Elixir, cult, V... V... V was mysterious, in the worst and best of ways. The suspicion that arose clashed with the excitement Min-ho felt when learning about and speaking with the enigma. Min-ho’s trust towards V was fragile, but his interest grew very strong. In V’s secrets, V’s personality, and in V’s beauty. He purposely shrouded himself in a mysterious fog, but Min-ho still wanted to learn more.

V never spoke well of himself in arrogance, nor in mere truth. Was V aware of just how much he could draw one towards him? He hardly showed it. Yet he had Min-ho ensnared.

“V...” Maybe Min-ho let his face slip and a grin show. Perhaps he was leaning a little close and clearly expressing his rapt interest. Yet his care was nonexistent when it came to V. “Can I draw you? You’re just... so pretty. Probably the prettiest person I’ve ever met, hehe.”

V’s cheeks instantly bloomed a deep rose, the color rapidly spreading to the tips of his ears. He peeked at Min-ho before glancing back down, his words choppy and broken.

“Uh... That’s... T-Thank you. Are you... implying you want me to be your muse? Is that it?” V’s face went from embarrassed to unreadable while this question left his lips. Min-ho nodded eagerly in response.

“Yeah. You’d be a great one, don’t you think? I’d love to draw you.” Min-ho tilted his head light-heartedly. V’s face was anything but. His blush died down, and he winced, as if he’d been hurt in some way.

“...I feel like I’m getting deja vu, haha. ...I don’t think I can model. Sorry. It’s a sore subject.” V looked guilty at his answer, which in turn made Min-ho regret his careless words.

“Oh no no, it’s fine. Sorry, didn’t mean to remind you of anything. But if you’re ever up to it, I’m here. And happy to do it anytime.” Min-ho’s laugh was bright and lively, hopefully enough to brighten the dull atmosphere. V’s expression softened, a look that really suited him. It sucked V wouldn’t be his model, but Min-ho much preferred this gentle, relaxed look over his stressed one from earlier. His embarrassed one wasn’t so bad either.

“I’ll keep that in mind, haha. ...So, you play guitar?” V gestured to the instrument Min-ho had leaned against couch, something he nearly forgot about. The instrument felt somewhat light in his arms when he weighed it. Was it because a small weight had been lifted off his shoulders?

“Yeah, I do. Do you play? Any instrument. You seen like a guitar guy. Maybe piano. Or maybe something different, like... a harp?” V would have a nice image with the guitar, but he seemed he’d be good at piano. Still, there was also this eccentric aspect to him. His option could be completely different from Min-ho’s image of him.

“No, um... I like to sing, on occasion, even if my voice isn’t that good. And write. But if I were to play, I think I’d try the violin. My mother played.” Played? Did she not play anymore, or...?

Not everyone liked talking about those things, and Min-ho certainly wouldn’t be the first to ask. If V wanted Min-ho to know, he’d tell.

“Sing? I’d like to hear that. You already have a nice speaking voice. Does that mean you write lyrics? Your own songs?” His cotton-like voice would blend in incredibly well with a gentle, slow but powerful tune. He’d sound amazing with a composition that aided how light his voice was.

“Kind of... Rika and I wrote a song together. She had a nice voice. We would sing it together. I think that song was our way of communicating with each other. I’d write my lyrics, and she’d write hers. They contradicted each other a lot, so it was more like we were singing to each other.” V was usually so calm, but he looked excited to share his song experience. Or perhaps it was the reminiscing that put him in a positive mood.

“So it’s like you guys talked. Through... song?” It wasn’t unheard of to express your feelings through song so it got through to your loved one. It wasn’t everyday you heard that two loved ones communicated through the same song.

“Yeah. With music, everything was laid bare. Rika always had a way with words, but her emotions came across so much more clearly through song. It was probably our most successful form of communication. I think... that might be the only time we truly understood each other.” V’s excitement died down and he instead looked incredibly nostalgic, like he’d do anything to return to those times.

“I’m supposed to say that’s nice, but honestly... That’s kind of sad.” Min-ho instead focused on his guitar so he didn’t have to watch V’s reaction. Song was beautiful, and could really allow one to express their inner feelings with poetic, expressive verses that were so much more impactful. But if that was the only way to really communicate, then what would the rest of the time they spent together amount to? Isn’t it difficult, never being able to understand your partner even in the most trying of times?

“Haha. I guess it does sound sad, huh...? It was what we had. I didn’t hate it. I can’t say whether or not I truly loved it, but... Ah, I’m getting ahead of myself. Don’t mind my words. Um...” Did V have a bit of a rocky relationship with Rika? Not that it was Min-ho’s business. It’s probably hard for V to talk about, with Rika being dead and all. It would seem rude to speak ill of their relationship after death. But her being dead didn’t mean that her and V’s relationship was always sunshine and rainbows. Did V ever get to talk about that? At the very least, V seemed to like the relationship they had.

“It’s not always easy to speak bad of your relationship, huh? You probably can’t do that in the chatroom now.” V bit his lip, deliberating how he should respond, if his bent brow meant anything. He looked somewhat uncomfortable, but Min-ho wouldn’t take back his words even if he could.

“I suppose. I still loved her, and I loved the relationship we had. But... Looking back, um... I don’t know. I... I’d like to change the topic.” It was understandable V couldn’t confide in Min-ho yet, they hardly knew each other, and this was their first proper encounter. Min-ho probably wouldn’t be able to either if he were in V’s shoes. No matter, Min-ho would respect V’s wishes.

“Right. Photography, songwriting... You really like the arts, don’t you?” Min-ho’s eyes fell back to the guitar in his hands. If it weren’t so loud, he’d love to play a song. No need to draw attention to himself with V next to him.

“Yeah. And you do too. I think we’ll get along really well.” V smiled, a beautiful sight indeed, and Min-ho returned that with his own bright grin. V sounded like nice company. Min-ho was limited on contact, and while he could text a few of his friends, he didn’t want them to get involved in any of this somehow. It was nice to have someone who shared his interests. Hopefully V thought the same.

“Me too. I’ve never tried out photography. Sounds fun. Can you show me some of your works sometime?” Min-ho might be getting ahead of himself, but V didn’t just take photos for fun. He was a professional photographer. Min-ho would like to see how professional photography compared to photos from amateurs like him.

“Of course. I don’t have any physical copies, but I could show you some on my phone.” V pulled out his phone, but instead of showing the screen Min-ho, he broke out into a cold sweat. “But not now. I have to leave this place, before the prayers are over. Sorry. I’ll bring you physical copies of photos. And we can talk tomorrow. I’ll be back by then.” V got ready to stand up while he pulled up his hood, but Min-ho couldn’t just let him leave like that. If V was leaving, then—

“I can’t take you with me. Other believers know what you look like, and guards block the exit I’m using. I’m really sorry. Is there anything you need? Stuff you can’t ask for? Cigarettes? They don’t like smoking too much. They try to limit it. Makes it really hard to relax.” V answered Min-ho’s plea with the worst possible answer before Min-ho could even ask. Min-ho was really, really hoping this would finally be his break. Looks like he’d have to power through a little longer.

“You smoke? Wait, forget that. I don’t need anything. But I...” Min-ho shouldn’t bother V. V probably had enough on his plate, infiltrating this place, and now tasked with helping some random dude escape. It was enough V was willing to help. Min-ho found V’s secrets suspicious and a bit upsetting, but at the very least, Min-ho could believe V was on his side.

“Min-ho.” Hearing his name from V’s lips so suddenly caused Min-ho to shrink back. He only felt like recoiling more when V turned around and bent on a knee so he was face-to-face with Min-ho, who was still seated. His concern gave way to a smile, and he put a hand on top of Min-ho’s head, rubbing it like he was some elementary schooler.

“It’ll be ok. Just keep doing what they tell you. You don’t have to worry alone anymore. I’m here. I’ll protect you.” V’s words were almost convincing. They’d be more convincing if V wasn’t treating Min-ho like some kid. It was just embarrassing. “You don’t have to trust anything else I say, but I want you to trust me on that. Please. I won’t abandon you, I promise. .... _I promise_.” V’s hand stilled, and he instead gazed into Min-ho’s eyes with a kindling fire. There was a darkness within those bright eyes, something Min-ho couldn’t begin to decipher. Regret? Lies? Guilt? Something else entirely?

“...I’m not a kid.” Min-ho laughed off his red cheeks, but V still smiled and regarded Min-ho with the same kind eyes and protectiveness you’d offer a lost child.

“Of course not. I still mean what I say. Hang in there, it won’t be long.” V must’ve said everything he wanted to, because he stood up and quickly glanced around the room before nodding to himself. “Well then. I’ll see you tomorrow. Let’s try to avoid meeting here. It’s too open. You’ve explored this floor, right? There’s an empty room. It has a lock, so there’s less a chance of interruption. We’ll meet there again tomorrow, ok? Call me if you need anything. I’ll try to log into the chatroom more often as well.”

“...Ok. I can call you just because, right? Because I kinda wanna do that now, hehe.” Min-ho let out an innocent laugh to deter V’s attention from the intent of the comment. V, thankfully, didn’t catch on, and nodded, none the wiser.

“Of course. I’d enjoy that. I’ll do the same. ...I should get going now. We’ll meet again.” V waved to Min-ho before exiting the rec room, scanning his surroundings before heading off. Min-ho would love to follow, but then there’d be too high a risk they both got caught. And if V wasn’t supposed to be here, what was Min-ho supposed to do if his only hope was kicked out? For now, Min-ho had to heed the guy’s advice. Play smart, and don’t do anything dumb. Min-ho was pretty sure he had attracted enough attention already, though.

...So that meant Min-ho could totally play, right? V was gone, so he didn’t risk exposing his infiltration. He just hadn’t played in so long. His mother owned a guitar, but Min-ho never put up enough money to buy his own, and he moved out a long time ago. He’s looked into guitars into the past, but they were always just a little above his budget. Now that he’s got a stable job, he can indulge from time to time.

But with the guitar he had now, a rare one at that, Min-ho would make due. If people came back, did it really matter? Maybe. Maybe not. He wouldn’t know until it happened. Even if his reassurances were nothing but excuses, he still let himself relax and focus all his attention on the instrument before him. The cult, V, Ray, the RFA, his job, school... they weren’t a concern right now. All Min-ho wanted to do was make music. Something to soothe his soul. So he did.

He let his hands take over, his mind only aware of the instrument in his arms. The sound he had been restless to hear now washed over the room in gentle, lapping waves, not nearly as sudden and enthusiastic as Min-ho’s signature sound. His hands almost picked up a foreign tune, transforming the sound into a soft, harmonious rhythm that bounced off the walls and returned in a gentle reassurance. It was entirely wrong. Min-ho’s music shouldn’t sound like this, but the feeling it evoked made it feel so right. And if such an experience could bring about this new, soothing style of music, could Min-ho say it was so bad?

“...So this is what you got up to.” The sound abruptly came to a halt, stunning the room into an almost eerie silence, the echo mimicking what once played. The disturbance was an unwelcome one, for it was merely Min-ho’s bodyguard, along with one of the other guys from yesterday, C276. That guy constantly rubbed Min-ho the wrong way.

“Did you come for a break?” Min-ho’s question was half-hearted, not necessarily directed at anyone. The guitar suddenly felt immensely heavy in his arms, nearly crushing them. In his panic, Min-ho quickly placed down the instrument, too afraid to pick it up once more.

“Mm.” F067 nodded, their conversation ending right there. He was a real quiet guy, and Min-ho was sure that in any other circumstance, he could get him to open up. But him and C276 intruding when he felt so at peace disregarded any kindness Min-ho had remaining. He needed some time alone. He could interrogate cultists another day.

“Have a good one, then.” The guitar practically dragged Min-ho like a dumbbell when he returned it to its original spot. The room felt too small when other people were present. The atmosphere felt heavy too, too suffocating. The air when he was suspicious of V didn’t even begin to compare to the thickness that filled the room. His goodbye wave was lazy while he left. Or he would’ve, if his sleeve hadn’t been grasped so roughly.

Turning around, it was C276, the weirdly quiet guy. His eyes were as void as ever.

“When are you planning to take the elixir? The Savior would never just keep an outsider.” C276’s eyes went dark, and his rigid posture suggested he was threatening. F067 watched calmly, and made no room to intervene.

Right. No matter how well Min-ho integrated, it’d be worth nothing if he wasn’t one of them. They were too far gone. They weren’t like Ray. They’ve lost all hope, and only believed in salvation. Convincing them would be a futile struggle.

“I don’t know. That’s something I’d have to ask Ray.“ It took all of Min-ho’s power to not blurt out that he’d never try such a thing, especially if it’d make him out to be like them. He chuckled to make his smile seem more genuine before he pulled his arm away and went back to his room.

This place was a cult. A building full of like-minded people. Everyone had the same views, ideals, and values. It’s was hard being the only sane person in a place governed by insanity. But he wasn’t, not anymore. V was there. Which meant that maybe, Min-ho had some hope.

The guards didn’t even raise an eyebrow when Min-ho returned to his room, loudly shutting the door behind him. The gentle pink really had a calming effect. It was easier on the eyes compared to the harsh navy and gold contrasts in the halls and rec room. The flowers added a touch of color and a pleasant, sweet smell to the air. They looked just as fresh as the first day Min-ho came. Did Ray tend to them while he slept?

“Maybe. ...But does it matter?” Min-ho sighed and sat on the bed, undressing his cloak. He had no intention to go out again, not until later, at least. Min-ho could do a variety of things to pass the time, but he felt the most productive thing to do would be to do good on his promise to Seven. Carrying his work equipment to most places was certainly a blessing in this case, for he could set up his tablet and laptop without problem, and get started on the art.

He had the other guy’s emojis for reference. Going by theirs, Min-ho went on to sketch a quick design of himself. He had a bunch of emotions to play with, happy, sad, angry, surprised, playful, confused... He shouldn’t go over the top, but the other guys had fun with theirs, so why shouldn’t he?

He had finished the sketch and was working on the line art for his first emoji when his phone buzzed with that oh so familiar ringtone. He should try changing it at some point. There was an option within the app to switch the ringtones, as well as message and email tones, but Min-ho never really got around to it.

Oh right, he should probably answer. Who in their right mind would only give you ten seconds to answer the phone? Anyway, who was calling? ...Jumin? Maybe he should let it ring.

Didn’t he do that yesterday? He pulled the excuse of being busy in later chats, but he couldn’t just brush off Jumin forever. He’d never break the ice that way. He should quit viewing Jumin as solely his boss’ boss, and instead, view him as an RFA member.

...Hard to say when Jaehee called him Mr. Han in the chatroom and he’d give her work there. Ugh, now he felt sick. When did talking to your boss become easy? With baited breath, Min-ho answered the call and put it on speaker, for both hands were busy either drawing or manipulating the drawing program.

“Um... hello?” Confidence, that was the most important thing when talking like this. All Min-ho had to do was pretend he was talking to literally anyone else. But who else had that super deep, resonating voice but Jumin?

“You picked up. I’m assuming you’re not busy at the moment?” Jumin was as cold as ever, which made this conversation all the more unnerving. It’d be one thing if Jumin were a kind, open boss, but the guy was so damn stoic. It was easier to hide behind a text then it was a call.

“Uh no. I mean, I’m working on a little thing, but I can work while you talk.” Min-ho had to fight to avoid letting out an awkward laugh that would only tense up the call more. When Min-ho grew tense, he’d focus himself on drawing, so it became easier to talk in the process.

“I see. What kind of project?”

“A drawing thing. I’ll show you guys when I’m done.” Min-ho managed to keep his hands from shaking this time, so... progress? His voice was easier to manipulate, thankfully, so no shakage could be detected there.

“Hm. You’re practical. Assistant Kang told me you sent in what you can manage for work via email, despite the fact that you’re unable to return. If you didn’t send in anything, there would’ve been no discipline. So why did you?” Was Jumin in a question asking mood today? Min-ho didn’t mind talking about himself, but he’d much rather hear about Jumin. He was more likely to trip over his words.

“...I don’t want to make trouble for my colleagues and the higher ups.” Min-ho sounded like a suck-up now. But it was true, mostly. It was more to ease his own mind, but was earning a few brownie points so bad? ...Like hell Jumin would take brownie points.

“Hierarchy, then. Would you say the same if you were in a position of power?” Jumin’s question legitimately made Min-ho’s hand still while he considered it. If he were a creative director, would he think the same? ...Probably. Min-ho never liked being the cause of trouble. Especially when it came to work-related things.

“Yeah. If I can help out while I’m here, I will. I’m kinda useless otherwise. Actually, I just cause more trouble if I don’t turn in the work, y’know?” C&R was based on more high-end fashion, so when they considered targeting the younger generation, Min-ho was quick to volunteer to gather the data on today’s trends via personal knowledge and surveys. If he just quit that, he’d cause trouble for his entire team. He was one of the youngest workers, so he had to stay in his superior’s good graces.

“Curious. ...V called me earlier, saying we could meet for a late lunch. He sounded frantic, and mentioned that he met you. What is your impression of him now?” Ah, Jumin just had to go there. Maybe it was Min-ho’s fault for being so openly... antagonistic of V, but who could blame him? They’d think the same, if they were in his shoes.

“Uh... Well... He’s... nice. He seems like a cool guy, and we’ll probably get along. I just... I can’t trust him. I’m sorry, I just can’t. He’s hiding more than he lets on.” He knew it sounded like speculation, like something Yoosung would say. But by now, Min-ho knew that it wasn’t just a gut feeling. V had clearly intended to keep most of his secrets from the start, and it’s been made all too clear those secrets weren’t just some made up bull. Either Yoosung was really perceptive, or he just harbored an odd hatred for V.

“Hm. It seems not even meeting has raised your opinion of him. At the very least, you don’t seem angry, so your meeting may have done some good. Then, what do you think of us? The RFA?” Why, why, _why_ did Jumin keep asking questions. He should go on about how he bought his cat some diamond studded collar or something, not continuously prying into Min-ho. It made it that much harder to concentrate on his art, considering he only managed to make one proper line so far.

“Uhm... You’re all really great. I love chatting with you guys. ...I have more faith in you guys than V. Specifically you and Seven. It’s messed up, I know, but it’s the truth.” Of course Min-ho trusted Yoosung, Jaehee, and Zen, but if all hell broke loose, the first people he’d contact would be Seven and Jumin, not V, as they had the most influence.

“It’s good you’re able to speak so freely. That’s a trait few possess while maintaining their humility and manners. I’ve asked you questions this entire time. I’m sure you’re winded from answering them. As a thanks for indulging me, I’ll do the same. I grant you a few questions to ask me. Choose wisely.” ...Jumin was the kind of guy who always got things his way. He was incredibly confident and clearly had no care for what people thought of him. That wasn’t a bad thing, it could be rather attractive at times, but it became terrifying when you automatically thought of him as higher authority and not an equal.

A question, a question... Jumin wouldn’t want any stupid questions, obviously, so Min-ho should avoid anything he could find with a simple google search. Then... How about the RFA? It seemed more likely that Jumin was involved due to V, rather than work reasons, but it was hard to tell with him, sometimes.

“...What’s the RFA to you? Like... purely a work thing? Or is it more like a group of friends?” He wouldn’t assume the former if he weren’t so... boss-like with Jaehee outside of work hours.

“I’d say the RFA falls more closely to familial relations rather than work. It occasionally gets involved with C&R, but that is rare, and only when inviting guests. I frequent the messenger because I find spending time with the members, even through text, can be productive and rewarding. Next question.” ...Wow. That was pretty clear cut. It was sorta nice to talk to someone who was straight to the point after being avoided this entire time. But that straight-forward nature made it hard to gather his thoughts.

“Um... Sorry, I’m kinda nervous, uh...” Min-ho wracked his brain for something he’d like to ask Jumin, but he was drawing a blank.

“Are you? Is there some way you’d want me to act to ease your nerves? I’ve told you, my humor is not like Luciel’s. There are a variety of techniques you can use to ease nerves, from what I’ve read. I’ve no use for them, but I could send you a few articles. If coming up with questions on the spot concerns you, I suggest writing them down for the next time we talk. I’ll answer them then. Now, is there anything else you’d like to ask?” Normally people would say something like ‘don’t be nervous! Just say whatever’s on your mind!’ and be really open and welcoming. Jumin certainly wasn’t the type, and probably never was. Min-ho could hardly imagine it. It made for an interesting conversation partner, though.

“...What do you think of me?” Min-ho wanted to wince at asking this question, but he was too curious. Did Jumin think he was odd? Too open? Too carefree? Did Jumin even enjoy talking to him? All Jumin did was ask questions, after all.

“My impression of you? Hmm... You’re social and adaptable. You adjusted to the position thrust upon you without complaint, and speak positively of the experience. You seem to enjoy complimenting others too, as well as flirting from time to time. Yet you go quiet around me. I’m the only one who makes you nervous within the group.” Jumin commented idly, but that wasn’t what Min-ho was looking for. Nothing really sounded negative, thankfully, but that was more of Jumin listing his character. What did Jumin _think_ of him?

“...That’s an analysis, what’s your opinion of me?” Min-ho silently prayed be wasn’t pushing it, because Jumin was the last person he’d unintentionally want to tick off.

“I see. Allow me to rephrase that, then. Your attitude is admirable and your social skills make you a good candidate for the party coordinator, which I find relieving, as we cannot have a party without guests. Contrary to your thoughts, I care not of your flirtatious nature nor how you present yourself outside of work when there’s nothing inherently bad about it. Act as you please and engage with me as you will.” ...So Jumin wanted him to not get so worked up, was that it? He spoke to Min-ho like a friend (acquaintance?), rather than a subordinate. That gave Min-ho incentive to do the same.

“That’s... haha... Thanks. Um... I’m kind of embarrassed now. So... can I be more open with you? I want to be your friend.”

“Seeing as you’re now trustworthy, according to V, I don’t see why not. We can engage in more questions and small talk at a later date. Prepare questions then, like I advised before, and perhaps we’ll find something of similar interest. Now that I’ve finally gotten to chat with you, I believe we can end this call. I have work on my desk to attend to. If that is all, please excuse me.” Jumin’s abrupt hang up was comically in character, enough to make Min-ho break out into a fit of giggles.

“Haaah... Jumin’s kinda fun.” Letting out a happy sigh, Min-ho turned his attention back to his artwork. Yeah, a smiling emoji would be really nice, and after talking to Jumin, he found that the smile on his emoji looked a lot more natural, and therefore, that much cuter. Yeah, this was nice.

“Hm...” it was around eleven, an hour ‘til lunch. Considering Min-ho’s late start, he was pretty sure Ray would bring a late lunch, maybe around 3 or 4? Hopefully that didn’t interfere with his work.

Mmm yeah, here was a good place to pause. The line work for both frames were finished, all he had to do was color. ...Then he had five more emojis to go.

He didn’t want to ruin his good mood, so Min-ho whipped out his phone and checked into the chat. It didn’t appear that anyone was in a chat, but he then saw that Ray had logged into the app, even if he wasn’t in a chatroom. If that was the case, then he’d like to take take a little risk.

> **Min-ho has entered the chatroom.**

Almost immediately, the chatroom’s background glitched and sorted itself into code, as it always did when Ray logged in after him.

> **Ray has entered the chatroom.**
> 
> Ray: Min-ho!  
> Ray: I didn’t think you’d log into a chat. Is it because you saw me?  
> Ray: I was reading your past logs.  
> Ray: So... I can safely assume you’ve met V  
> Ray: I don’t know how or where, but...  
> Ray: I hate the idea of that hypocrite getting anywhere close to you.  
> Ray: And to think he managed to get in here of all places  
> Ray: How long was he here?  
> Ray: Savior surely couldn’t have known...  
> Ray: I should’ve known  
> Ray: I should’ve caught him  
> Ray: Now...  
>  >Min-ho: Are you...  
>  >Min-ho: _Afraid_?  
> Ray: ?  
> Ray: I don’t know if afraid is the right word...  
> Ray: But...  
> Ray: I’m a little nervous, yeah ;~;  
> Ray: Pathetic, isn’t it?  
> Ray: I’m afraid to even tell the Savior of my mishap  
> Ray: She... doesn’t have to know, right?  
> Ray: But V can’t just keep sneaking in...  
>  >Min-ho: What happens if you tell her?  
>  >Min-ho: Will something happen to V?  
> Ray: Yes, if he’s caught.  
> Ray: But he wasn’t.  
> Ray: So... that means...  
> Ray: It’s my mistake. I deserve any punishment the Savior throws at me  
>  >Min-ho: Does she actually punish you?  
>  >Min-ho: Or do you just want her to? Like you want me to sometimes?  
> Ray: Well...  
> Ray: She might toughen up my workload  
> Ray: _I deserve it for my incompetence._  
>  Ray: She might even lessen our time together  
> Ray: **I don’t want that!**  
>  Ray: Ahhh  
> Ray: I really hope she just tells me to work harder  
> Ray: I can deal with less sleep  
> Ray: I can deal with less food  
> Ray: But not seeing you? That makes me really sad...  
> Ray: Oh, I’m getting ahead of myself...  
> Ray: You logged on for a reason, right?  
> Ray: I know you didn’t log in just to say hi. No need to hide it.

...Even if that was the truth, having it phrased so bluntly just made Min-ho feel bad.

> >Min-ho: Yeah, so...  
>  >Min-ho: About lunch...  
> Ray: Did you want it now? I wanted to wait until later, but...  
>  >Min-ho: No.  
>  >Min-ho: You’re cooking it, right?  
> Ray: Of course!  
> Ray: I... should probably wait until later to tell the Savior. So I can at least cook for you one more time.  
> Ray: Today especially...  
>  >Min-ho: That means you’ll have time for a break, right?  
> Ray: Well, yes...  
> Ray: If I combine by sleeping break with cooking after keeping that redhead busy  
> Ray: I can spare a few hours  
>  >Min-ho: Good  
>  >Min-ho: Make an extra plate. You’re eating with me!  
> Ray: Huh?  
> Ray: But I cook for you, not for me  
> Ray: I can’t waste time on myself. I’d just eat crackers if that were the case  
>  >Min-ho: Too bad.  
>  >Min-ho: It’s my new rule. When you serve me food, you I’d like you to eat with me.  
> Ray: I couldn’t just do that!  
> Ray: I could waste precious time, and I’d just get in your way...  
> Ray: Yeah, I could never.  
>  >Min-ho: ...You said you’d do whatever I wanted, right?  
> Ray: ...Of course.  
> Ray: I’m busy with my Savior’s orders, but anything that doesn’t directly conflict with that is dedicated to you  
> Ray: If you need me to do something, I shall.  
>  >Min-ho: Then eat with me and get a proper meal ^^  
> Ray: That’s not exactly what I meant by that, um...  
>  >Min-ho: What? Did you want me to hurt you?  
>  >Min-ho: Give me some credit. I’m not a sadist.  
>  >Min-ho: Please? I won’t eat your food otherwise  
> Ray: You really don’t play fair, you know? ;-;  
>  >Min-ho: I think the same thing about you every day  
> Ray: Huh??  
> Ray: ...Anyway. If that’s what you desire.  
> Ray: Your food will be ready later.  
> Ray: Oh... I should go.  
> Ray: That hacker’s putting up a big fuss. So annoying.  
> Ray: Don’t let V sway you, ok? He’s a terrible person  
> Ray: And don’t be so trustful of the RFA. You’ll only regret it.  
> Ray: If that’s all, I should log out  
> Ray: Talk to you later, Min-ho!  
>  >Min-ho: Bye!
> 
> **Ray has left the chatroom.**
> 
> **Min-ho has left the chatroom.**

He managed to extend the time he had with Ray. He wasn’t really sure how the conversation would pan out, so he was damn lucky Ray was so obedient. Maybe Ray himself wasn’t too lucky, considering the crap he’d get for V sneaking in.

Not eating? Not sleeping? Did the Savior really deal out such harsh punishments? Did she care about Ray’s well-being at all?To deny someone food and sleep wasn’t just manipulative, it was dominating, like she’d want to deprive Ray of any and all sense of freedom. Ray viewing his own opinions as less than dirt likely stemmed from that type of behavior right there.

“...Does that mean he’s in the same boat? Dammit.” Min-ho cursed and tossed his phone somewhere on the bed, turning his attention back to his lineart, which he began to fill with color. Now he felt conflicted. Was Ray bad, or was Ray good? Maybe he was a super good actor? He played off his innocence at that apartment m really well, after all...

But maybe it wasn’t an act. Maybe Ray truly was innocent, and did everything with the belief that it was right. That made him all the more dangerous. But if he was being manipulated, then that made it more sad than anything.

Min-ho didn’t know for sure. He shouldn’t jump to conclusions (no matter how positive) without getting a proper analysis. He wanted to give Ray the benefit of the doubt, but seeing as Ray played the role of the bad guy, Min-ho had to stick with guilty ‘til proven innocent.

As much as he wasn’t supposed to think this, he really, _really_ hoped Ray could someday be proven innocent. Then maybe he’d be able to retain the little sanity he had left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said I’d do V’s route first, but I might write both routes simultaneously. They both have really interesting premises and I’m excited to explore them lmao. Alas, the common route must first be set in stone.
> 
> I also might rename the chapters. I sorta rushed on them and I’m not all that satisfied with them. Don’t be surprised if the names are different from before!


	6. Misconceptions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Man, this chapter just wouldn’t come out when I tried to write it. But it finally did! Woo!

“...No.”

“S-Seriously?”

“Sorry.”

“Dammit.” Zen pouted, falling onto his couch with a hard thump. He adjusted his phone so he was in its view, his eyes holding just the barest hint of a twitch. Irritation.

“Cheer up! It’s not _that_ bad. It’s just... well...” Min-ho broke into an awkward laugh and scratched his head.

“Go on, spit it out.” Zen receded into the hood he pulled over his head, crimson eyes peeking dangerously through its shadow.

“It’s... it’s pretty bad. You don’t look evil. At all. Or like Hyde. You just look kinda angry. Like a cute, angry Zen.” Min-ho tried to be eloquent in his criticism, but he wasn’t one for vivid descriptions and big words. He gave it his best shot. “At least your Jekyll’s really good. And your singing!”

“I...Was that supposed to make me feel better?” Zen raised an unamused eyebrow, crossing his arms. Min-ho’s voice shook while he laughed, rubbing his arm.

“Yes? You told be to be honest...” He defended, and Zen let out a hmph.

“I know, just.... Haaah, dammit. What am I doing wrong?! No matter what I do, I can’t get into it...” Zen groaned and clutched his head, while Min-ho chuckled. Even talented actors like him struggled sometimes.

“Maybe you should try it from a different angle. Hyde’s supposed to be ‘bad’, yes, but most villains don’t think they’re bad. They can justify themselves. Hyde’s really angry, so you just gotta find something that makes you angry. It’ll help! Probably.” Min-ho suggested, glancing at his laptop. He hasn’t read the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in a long time, so maybe he was grasping at air, but Hyde, while ‘bad’, was also a freedom to Jekyll. There was an appeal Hyde (and even Jekyll) saw in the transformation. While the idea wasn’t exactly realistic, the theme was easy to grasp and relatively similar to the musical.

“So... put myself into his shoes? I’ve been trying but... I’m not good at this stuff. What am I even supposed to get mad at?” Zen’s words fell into a grumble, and he looked about ready to go on a rant. He looked closer to Hyde now than he did a few minutes ago when he was actually trying.

“...Jumin makes you angry. Why don’t you think of him?” Min-ho tilted his head. Zen paused, grimacing. Min-ho supposed any thought of Jumin put Zen in a bad mood.

“But being angry won’t really make me understand Hyde any better. I mean, Jumin’s a jerk, but I don’t want to see him hurt or anything.” Zen sighed, and Min-ho quickly shook his head.

“No, that’s not what I mean. It’s not the murderous part you’ve gotta understand, it’s the character.” Min-ho sat up straight, flashing Zen a grin. “Hyde feels suppressed. That’s like the whole point of the novel. In the musical, he feels free after being held back for so long. So... Think about a time you felt alive. Like _really_ alive. The best feeling ever, multiply that by ten, and pretend your life was pretty bad before. Kind of like that.” Min-ho rambled, ending with a shrug. “But hey, you don’t really have to worry unless you get the part. So don’t sweat it.”

“Jeez, at least root for me or something...” Zen let out an astonished laugh, toying with the string of his hoodie. He seemed to brighten up a little, and gave Min-ho a genuine, incredibly attractive smile.

“You’re right. Getting the lead role’s a dream, but I’ll be happy with any part.” Zen turned towards the ceiling on the couch and dragged his phone with him, holding it over his head. “I’ll just hope for the best. And work really hard. Thanks for the help, by the way! You don’t give me any crap.”

“Of course. You can get the part. You’re really good. Even if your Hyde’s... well...” Min-ho couldn’t resist adding a little tease.

“Thanks for the support.” Zen rolled his eyes.

“Hehe, sorry. We good now? Need anything else?” Min-ho‘s lip quirked up while he watched Zen, who pondered the question. He shook his head.

“Nope. We’re good, thanks again. Let’s talk later, ok? I’ll show you how much I’ve improved, just watch!” Zen waved enthusiastically and ended the video call, leaving Min-ho to his work. His _incredibly_ important task of completing the emojis.

...He missed his usual work schedule.

“Almost done.” The lift in his tone didn’t raise his mood or morale like he had hoped. You couldn’t really call constantly being coerced into getting brainwashed a vacation, no matter how nice the lodgings were.

Just as Min-ho finished the base colors of another emoji, there was a knock on the door. Time had passed in a flash, and he realized it’s already been hours since he texted Ray.

“Come in!” He called, placing his laptop on the bedside drawer. Ray entered, wheeling in his usual cart full of food. His chest was raised in an almost unnatural show of confidence. Better than self-depreciation or self-sacrifice.

“Oh, did I interrupt you? Sorry, but I’ve brought your meal. I made the food choice this time, so I hope you enjoy it.” Ray glanced at Min-ho and his eyes softened somewhat. Just a fraction. He went back to setting up the table like the moment never occurred, but Min-ho couldn’t shake the expression. Gentle... really genuine...

Berating himself never produced the results he hoped for.

He let out an amused sigh and sat down, the plush seat a luxury in addition to his meal. Another plate sat across from his, though Ray was still setting up. He kept his word! Not that Min-ho expected any less. And the food smelled amazing, almost like — Ray unveiled the plates — steak!

The smell distantly reminded him of homemade meals at home. Suppressing those memories was for the better. He felt every urge to reach out to his family and friends but he’d never risk involving them in any way. Quite the tactic they employed.

Once the table was set, Ray sat and watched in anticipation as Min-ho took the first bite, slumping in relief when Min-ho broke into a grin. The food tasted great, as always. This, though? This had to be a new record for best tasting meal. Min-ho did his best to sing his praises for once, since he’s always been a little on the meaner side to Ray. He’s trying to be nicer to Ray, after all. Ray seemed to glow under the praise.

The dinner was surprisingly quiet otherwise. Usually Ray always wanted to talk, but he looked more invested in his meal. Well, Ray hadn’t exactly eaten much, so Min-ho couldn’t blame him. The calm was pretty nice after everything that went on earlier.

“So—“

“I made dessert too.” Ray beamed, quickly removing empty plates and retrieving clean ones. He went under the cart, covered with a cloth, to pull out —“Cake!” Oh, he said that out loud. But Ray could _bake_? And cook? This looked amazing! It was definitely homemade, but it looked so professional.

High class food like this everyday? And dessert? For free? Maybe Magenta wasn’t so bad after all.

“I didn’t think you’d look this happy.” Ray watched Min-ho curiously before breaking into a smile. “I’m glad. I would’ve done so sooner if I knew you liked it so much.”

“Seriously? I could’ve had this earlier? Holy crap Ray, you should become a cook or something. This looks amazing.” Min-ho chuckled, cutting himself and Ray a generous slice before Ray could even attempt to refuse.

“No, I don’t think so. You’re the only one I want to cook for.” Ray shook his head, looking down. Min-ho wasn’t sure whether the weird thump in his chest was from excitement or unease. It became harder and harder to tell these days with Ray.

“It tastes good.” Really good. Ray had a gift. “You worked really hard, huh?” Min-ho gave Ray an easy smile to hide his own slight uneasiness, who laughed and took a bite of his cake. Each forkful made Min-ho melt into a puddle of pure bliss. This cake alone was paradise, mind any drugs or ‘saviors’.

“Mm. I got the idea after this bad dream I had earlier. Um... I don’t think I’ll talk about it.” Ray went still, clutching his fork just a little tighter. “Baking this made me feel a little better. So does watching you eat. I could watch you all day.” Ray relaxed and chuckled, taking another bite.

Ray wasn’t lying. When Min-ho averted his gaze and went to take another bite, he could still feel a steady gaze on him. Anytime he looked up, he found Ray’s eyes on him, whether it be Min-ho’s eyes, hair, cheeks, nose, or lips... Did Ray ever bore of him?

“Clearly.” Min-ho mumbled, taking deep breaths to cool his unusually warm cheeks. He’d like to focus on his cake more, but Ray’s eyes on him made him hyper-aware of his actions, and he felt more like he was putting on a show rather than enjoying a delicacy.

Aha, Ray really wouldn’t let up. If Min-ho couldn’t eat, then... He best make the most of what little time Ray could offer. He was the one to suggest they eat together, so he should take full advantage of it.

“You have something to say.” If Min-ho hadn’t been paying attention, Ray’s words would’ve disappeared into the air.

“Yeah, kinda.” Min-ho admitted, sitting up straighter. The atmosphere dampened considerably, and their faces fell. That moment of peace was nothing but a fleeting, distant dream. Their conversations always ended up serious one way or another. There was no avoiding it.

They’ve done this so often Min-ho didn’t feel nearly as uncomfortable as he did confronting others.

“...Do you know what the elixir of salvation is?” Min-ho asked, and Ray fell silent. His eyes went wide, and he seemed to fall into a stupor before snapping himself out of it.

“Yes, of course.” Ray’s head bobbed in slow motion, his hands clasping together like he were in a classroom. His face slowly lost expression until it was completely blank. “It’s a special drink first offered during an introduction ceremony, then regularly.” He paused, his eyes observing Min-ho as if from an outsider’s perspective, like he weren’t the one explaining everything to Min-ho. An introduction ceremony.... It’s probably exactly what it sounds like.

“Everyone takes it before joining Mint Eye. The elixir will give you a true taste of paradise, show you salvation... You’ll feel happy, safe, protected... It’ll make you feel amazing.” Ray finished, closing his eyes and digging his nails into the back of his hands. His face betrayed his flowery words, a coldness Min-ho worried implied something much deeper than he could yet decipher.

The explanation was so round-about, Min-ho wasn’t sure if he understood that right. Salvation? Safe? No normal drink could make you feel that good. No, that meant...

“Drugs...” His head began to ache. Rubbing it didn’t ease the pain. “You’re saying that it’s a drug.”

“That’s a crude way to put it. It isn’t addictive, if that’s what you’re worried about. Or is it the effect on the body?” Ray hummed, crossing his arms. “The elixir doesn’t have any permanent physical effects, usually... It isn’t comparable to other popular forms of illegal drugs. Those are designed to give you an addiction, and they can make you age... Grow weaker... it’s awful.” He pulled his arms closer to his chest and closed his eyes, sinking further down into his seat. He remained, pain occasionally overriding his features, like he were being attacked mentally over and over, a whip thrashing erratically at his mind.

“But they’re still drugs.” Min-ho argued, and Ray sat up, immediately going on the defensive. He leaned forward, eyes  
passionate, combined with a deep sorrow that appeared impossible to mend.

“They’re not the same. The elixir won’t affect your lungs, your body won’t deteriorate... It’s safe to use for extended periods since you can’t get withdrawal symptoms, and...” Ray continued on, quite passionately on the awful effects of the most popularly abused drugs, from drying of the skin to overdose and premature death. The effects of most illegal drugs were awful... But wasn’t the elixir still bad? If... if it’s in this cult, it’s probably illegal. You can’t legally make a brainwashing drug, right? Min-ho wasn’t well-versed in drugs, but he did know just how much they could screw with you physically and mentally. He had no interest in experiencing it.

“That’s not the point. You get they’re still illegal, right? Excusing it doesn’t change a thing.” Min-ho felt like he was trying to reason with a three year old. Ray had his reasons, but the bare foundation of Min-ho’s argument remained the same. Certain drugs were illegal, no matter how good or bad it was, compared to another.

“Of course! I know that much. The Savior even allowed he to search how other drugs were bad to understand why she uses the elixir.” There was a long pause, where Ray just took a few deep breaths to calm himself. He put his entire heart into a debate he didn’t want to win. The depths in his darkened eyes. He was falling into that void, waiting for someone to save him. “What matters is the result. The elixir might be condemned by normal people, but it aids us here.” Ray went quieter and quieter as he went on. If he couldn’t stick to his own argument, maybe there was hope for him yet.

“That’s... I don’t want to take any drugs, alright? I won’t.” If anything, Min-ho knew that.

“You aren’t alone. Many believers also felt that way.” Ray suddenly stood from his chair, stretching his arms into the air.. “I’m not telling you do do drugs. You shouldn’t, ever. But the elixir... It’s insulting to compare the two.”

“...” There was a long sigh. Min-ho didn’t know how to argue back, and he was pretty sure Ray would find one way or another to shut his argument down, and he probably had every counter-argument stored in that large brain of his. But with how vastly different their views were, Min-ho couldn’t begin to understand Ray’s view. The ends justifying the means... That ideology was pretty twisted used in certain contexts. Ray lived by it.

“This was... it was fun. I enjoyed our meal. But I should probably get back to work soon...” And there was Ray’s usual escape tactic, aside from running out of the room whenever it suit him. If Min-ho could keep him just a little longer...

But was that right? Ray hardly slept. And he wasn’t looking any better compared to this morning. How did he even function? A day without sleep was one thing, but those constant eye bags were no joke. Did he go sleep deprived for days? Weeks?

If he did let Ray go, Ray would just return to work like it was no big deal.

Ray said something about a sleeping break. He... possibly skipped it just to cook. It was sweet, but Min-ho’s conscious wouldn’t allow it.

“You only got two hours of sleep.”

“...And?” Ray tilted his head, confused, like Min-ho just told him an obvious fact. “Oh, are you worrying for me? That’s sweet. But I’m fine.”

“I think you should get some sleep. You look exhausted.” Min-ho tried to reason, shifting a little. He shouldn’t feel as concerned as he is.

“I’ll sleep. Once I’ve finished my work or come to a good stopping point.” Ray dismissed.

“Look, Ray, I just...” Min-ho’s gaze shifted to his bed, then back to Ray, and a slow grin worked its way onto his face. “I want you to get some sleep. I mean, there’s a perfectly fluffy bed right there.” He hummed a playful tune and began rocking on his heels, while Ray simply blinked.

“Do you like it? I wanted it to be really comfortable. Sorry about the color. I expected a girl, as you know...” Ray rubbed his head. Min-ho would actually applaud the room. Very gentle on the eyes. But that wasn’t the issue. No going off track! He let Ray veer into his own topic too many times already.

“Yeah. It’s soft. And comfortable. I bet you’d really like it.” Min-ho beamed, and Ray’s eyelids went up. He could only stare, and stare, and stare...

“No! No. I know what you’re trying to do Min-ho, and I appreciate it, I really do. It makes me really happy to know you care that much. I’m unable to get away right now, is all.” Ray’s eyes fell to the floor, his lips curving to a soft, content smile.

“Does it? It makes me pretty upset, worrying over you...” Min-ho took a slow, deliberate step. Ray was too busy basking in his glee to pay any mind to the way Min-ho slinked closer and closer with each passing second. “If you just relaxed, I wouldn’t have to.”

His mind argued for him to stop, to not get any closer than respectable. He didn’t listen.

“All I want you to do is sleep.” Min-ho brushed his fingers against Ray’s wrist, small. Ray jolted in shock and snapped his head up, eyelids raised. Min-ho was no closer than Ray got at the garden, a breath’s hair separating them just a bit more, but Min-ho could feel the tickle of warmth from Ray’s skin. Ray still tensed when Min-ho made no more contact.

“I-I... You’re close. You’re gonna make my heart flutter. No, you’re already doing that...” Ray laughed, his smile strained and jaw clenched just a little too tight. He turned his head away to try to hide his small gasp when Min-ho ghosted his fingers over the cuff of his silk coat.

“Really? You’re looking kinda red though. You doing alright there, Ray?” Min-ho tilted his head, a tease lilting at Ray’s name. Ray shuffled in his place but when he realized that only made Min-ho brush against him more, he froze out of panic.

“Please, Min-ho. You know I have to work. I’d love to listen to you, but I—um...” One step forward and Min-ho was nothing but a hair away, their ankles brushing and the tips of their fingers just barely coming into contact. Ray startled and jumped back, losing his balance and doing a little dance to regain his awkward footing. This would be the moment one would give up pursuit in fear of scaring the other away, but Min-ho found the thrill of the risk all to addicting and took a few more steps to Ray. Ray would panic, step back, but Min-ho would press forward until Ray was trapped against the bed. Despite how he darted his gaze around, he made no move to retaliate or deny Min-ho’s advances.

“Please, Ray? For me? It’ll make me really happy. I’ll be good, I promise.” Min-ho really shouldn’t tease Ray like this, his face goes so red. But it was simple observation.

Min-ho noticed it before. Ray had an odd fixation with happiness. Min-ho wasn’t sure where Ray’s obsession oriented from or why it existed, but Ray put a lot of meaning in making others happy. _Especially_ Min-ho.

Even when said happiness conflicted with his Savior’s orders.

Ray let his eyes trail down, but he realized that with Min-ho in front of him that really wasn’t a good idea and he looked to the side to ponder his answer. While Ray deliberated, Min-ho gave his chest a simple tap to sit him on the bed.

“...You can’t just say things like that. I... I mean... When you do, I get... um... Never mind. Just...” Ray took a moment to calm his own breathing, holding his chest. His heart must be racing.

Min-ho would ignore the way his was too.

“Do you want me to stop?” Min-ho leaned closer, watching as Ray’s breath hitched. He didn’t stop until they were nose to nose, where Min-ho could feel Ray’s quickened breaths and the heat of his pale skin. He shivered, just slightly, when Min-ho’s curls brushed his rosy cheeks.

He smelled sweet. Mostly of cake, but there was the faint scent of flowers too.

As expected, Ray quickly averted his gaze and burned a furious hole into the bed, trying to keep his wits about him. He was teetering on the edge of a cliff. He just needed that final push.

Literally.

“I never said-Hey!” Ray cried out when Min-ho gave his chest a gentle shove, just hard enough to get Ray to fall onto the bed. Ray made no move to get up, and instead rubbed furiously at his arm while a nervous sweat dripped down his cheek. He was a tired flushed heap bathed in Magenta, growing more restless each second Min-ho stayed quiet.

“You’ll sleep, right? I’ll wake you up in an hour or two, ok?” Min-ho ran a finger down Ray’s cheek, who trembled and eyed the chandelier. He went silent for a while, taking a sharp breath when Min-ho traced Ray’s jawline with his thumb. Min-ho should stop being so mean before poor Ray’s heart stopped.

Somehow, Min-ho didn’t think that happening was so bad. Long as he was the sole reason for it.

“Ok, I give in. Just _please_...” Ray choked, and Min-ho let his fingers remain on Ray’s cheeks for longer than necessary before reluctantly pulling away. Ray let out a low sigh, his breath just a little shaky while he stripped himself of his overcoat and tossed it over the chair.

He shifted under Min-ho’s critical eye, kicking off his shoes and working himself under the covers, defeated. He shot Min-ho a hard look, one Min-ho would almost describe as longing before he turned the opposite way and pulled the covers to his cheeks.

Mission accomplished!

...Not that he was proud or anything.

“I trust you. Please wake me up in no later than an hour and a half.” Ray whispered, curling up under the duvet. In just a few minutes, his face relaxed, and his breaths fell into an even rhythm. To be safe, Min-ho set an alarm on his phone. An hour and a half might not be much, but it was better than nothing.

...It was really hard to get Ray’s face out of his mind. He shouldn’t be dwelling on it. So what if he was cute? He was still, as of now, Min-ho’s captor. No matter how soft his skin felt under Min-ho’s hand, or how cute he sounded when he pleaded... Or how when they got too close, Min-ho felt a crackle of electricity at the tension between their bodies and—

No—No. Was he trying to stay here? Did he _want_ to get drugged? Because that’s what happens when you develop an interest in your possible drug-addict kidnapper. He was way too comfortable here.

He needed... He needed some kind of distraction. Something to cool the heat that still tingled on his skin. Because whenever his mind wandered, his eyes would travel to Ray and Min-ho wanted nothing more than to watch him sleep with that gentle look on his face, that looked that he too often lacked.

Min-ho had time. He could spend it on so many other, more viable things. Like his emojis. Oh! But he should clear the table first. It was the least he could do after he sorta forced Ray to take more time off than necessary. With less than kind methods.

He moved the mostly empty plates onto the cart and covered the cake, moving the cloth so he could slip it back onto the bottom of the cart. He should ask Ray to bring it again later, Min-ho would love to finish it. He placed the cake down, bumping it against some other thing resting on the bottom of the cart. Something rectangular. Min-ho lifted the cover just a little more to get a better look.

It was some kind of book. Did Ray like to read? Curious, Min-ho pulled out the thin book and read the cover. It was intricately decorated, with nothing but the name ‘Ray’ neatly printed onto the front. This... wasn’t just a book, was it?

Before Min-ho could let himself gather time to think, he flipped to the first page. ‘For eternal paradise.’ The same phrase everyone used when greeting each other. The second page had an oath printed on it.

“For the Eternal Paradise of Mint Eye, I solemnly swear upon all my wounds to protect and serve by my Savior’s side. Signed Ray.” Min-ho silently repeated to himself, feeling his eyes narrow. This book was a journal. It was really expensive looking, but it was definitely a diary. A cult issued diary? They must have a hell of a funding system to pop out expensive cloaks, diaries, and drugs like it was nothing. Not to mention all those items in the recreational room. Where they acquired money was something to ask about later.

One man made the briefest of appearances in his mind, but he had a strong will, and to suggest he was lying the entire time meant Min-ho was to betray the trust he recently built. He wouldn’t doubt him or anyone else.

Really, Min-ho shouldn’t be reading this to begin with. This was Ray’s personal journal. The last thing Min-ho would want was random person snooping around in his diary while he slept defensleessly by them. Ray /just/ said he trusted him for crying out loud, which ticked off one of Min-ho’s goals.

Maybe Ray deeply trusted him from the beginning.

Min-ho once trusted him too.

Maybe it wasn’t right, but neither was his situation. He had every right and reason to read this. So he turned the page and kept reading, no matter how his conscious berated him.

_‘I’m only able to drink water if I reach a satisfactory level of my job. My vision is blurring.’_

Min-ho felt his eye twitch. Seven hours. Ray wrote that for seven hours, he didn’t drink. He wasn’t allowed to, not until he reached satisfactory results. He was neither graced with water or sleep until his Savior was satisfied.

Min-ho sat down in shock, rereading the first page over and over. This Savior of his... Just what kind of person was she? If there was no other way to access food, what she did to Ray was just cruel.

This place was so pretty. Min-ho began to suspect it was a prison masquerading itself the entire time.

Snapping out of his daze, Min-ho looked onto the next page. There was a large picture of Ray dressed in his usual attire, captioned with how the Savior chose his clothes. There wasn’t a date, so Min-ho had no clue how long ago this was. But Ray didn’t look any different now from how he did in the picture.

He flipped another page, absorbing everything he got his eyes on. Ray designed the security system which required card access. Any chance of getting past that would be dependent on Ray if V couldn’t pull through. There was a page on choosing flowers for the garden too. Min-ho hadn’t seen them before, but Ray said the garden was really huge. That could make it harder to use that as an emergency escape route.

‘The only place that will recognize my usefulness is here. I must work hard to be recognized.’

...Min-ho hated hearing stuff like this. Proving yourself to someone who wasn’t worth it. If this place was so awful, why didn’t Ray leave? He shouldn’t be so fixated on being useful. Not burdening others was great, but there’s a limit to selflessness. At some point, it turned into pointless sacrifice.

Ray went so far as to write ways to better work himself to death. Less sleep, no real food... One of these days, Ray was going to make himself sick. Seeing Ray close to passing out was one thing, but seeing just how hard he pushed himself, how hard he was forcibly pushed... The Savior was supposed to ‘love all’. She clearly didn’t give two shits about Ray.

Min-ho thought he’d learn more about Magenta. Seemed instead he was learning more about Ray. No, not about Ray, just his situation.

Oh, but this page...

A project draft? There were a bunch of notes on the Mystic Messenger ‘game’, originally called the RFA Application. It had a basic breakdown of each member’s personality, each labeled as a target. In a footnote, Ray wrote that ‘target’ meant elimination.

...Min-ho shouldn’t jump to conclusions. He really shouldn’t. All he could do was pray he didn’t get wrapped up in something where his life and others were on the line.

Ray was so sweet. Maybe a little scary. But there was no way he could kill someone. No way.

The way he looked when talking about V planted a small seed of doubt.

The next few pages had information on each RFA member, like some kind of game card. Ratings (of danger?), weaknesses, occupations. Methods of conciliation stuck out to Min-ho the most. It mentioned what had the deepest effect on the RFA members.

V and Seven were the most interesting. V seemed to have some kind of effect on Ray. Something personal. Ray wrote to be careful of not being swayed by him. Seven was simply to be discarded, whatever that entailed. It’d be nice if that meant ignored.

V was also labeled as the most important.

...The RFA had a deep connection to this place, but only V seemed to know what that was. V was labeled as a traitor... did he betray Ray? Did he betray Mint Eye in favor of the RFA? What the hell did some charity organization have to do with this huge cult? Min-ho had so many questions, a lot he was sure V could answer.

The next page was info on... stuff Ray prepared for him. The room, its requirements... It was all premeditated. This entire kidnapping. Down to the last detail. Requirements for being chosen, for food... He even wrote down a few recipes. Ray was really excited to meet someone outside of Mint Eye. How long had it been since he’s been out? He was so giddy to just have someone listen to him, companionship, a trusting relationship...

So that’s why he liked Min-ho so much. He just needed someone outside of Mint Eye for his own mental well-being, so he didn’t break under the stress. Didn’t matter who.

...That was kind of disappointing.

There were notes on Min-ho too. General observation. His personality, likes, dislikes, his relationship with the RFA, and so on. They were pretty spot on, almost scarily so.

‘I really like him. I hope I can regain his trust someday.’

The rest of the pages were blank. Ray was still writing, even to this day. Min-ho set the book down, and let his eyes fall shut.

This was... A lot.

_Ray’s being taken advantage of..._

Severely. He’s practically a slave, money or not. No sleep, working tireless hours to hack the messenger... All for just a little praise.

Ray’s loyalty made no sense. Was Ray being threatened, like him? Was Ray kidnapped too? God, what if Ray was just like him? If Ray didn’t come willingly either, and he was drugged and forced to stay docile...

A snicker left his throat. This just got better and better. Ray was a possible victim, or at the very least, forced to neglect his health. The RFA was deeply connected to Mint Eye and were possibly in danger. V looked like an enemy of Mint Eye but was still suspicious as all hell... Man, this was just great! Couldn’t get better!

“Hahaha! This is just... just perfect.” Min-ho wiped a tear. He wasn’t sure if it was from laughing or because he wanted to cry. Really, what was his luck to get involved in all of this?

There was a buzz from his phone. Chatroom notification. Of course, they always popped up when he was trying to process.

Sighing, Min-ho opened the app. V was on! Thank god.

> **Min-ho has entered the chatroom.**
> 
> V: Min-ho!  
>  V: Are you doing ok? Nothing bad happened, right?  
>  >Min-ho: Hey V  
>  >Min-ho: No, nothing.  
>  >Min-ho: But they know you’ve been here. Be careful.  
>  V: I see...  
>  V: Thank you for telling me.  
>  V: So there’s nothing to worry about, I’m glad...  
>  V: I’m sorry I had to leave you there  
>  V: I happen to have just finished having lunch with Jumin.  
>  >Min-ho: Sounds fun.  
>  >Min-ho: Anyway, I want to tell you something.  
>  V: Hm?  
>  >Min-ho: There’s this... person. I think they know you somehow.  
>  V: ...  
>  V: Please don’t talk too much about it. I don’t want your situation to get worse.  
>  >Min-ho: But they might be a victim too  
>  >Min-ho: There could be a lot more...  
>  >Min-ho: I can’t be the only one. Right?  
>  >Min-ho: I thought they were a bad person playing innocent. They might really be innocent.  
>  >Min-ho: I have to talk with them... I feel like shit. I was too mean.  
>  V: Min-ho, their situation is not your fault.  
>  V: Nor is yours, you acted with minimal knowledge.  
>  V: I understand how you feel.  
>  >Min-ho: ...  
>  >Min-ho: ...V, I can’t read you.  
>  >Min-ho: _What are you trying to achieve?_  
>  >Min-ho: I‘d like to think your intentions are good.  
>  >Min-ho: I like you, V. You’re really cool. I want to get to know you better. As a friend.  
>  V: I feel the same  
>  V: I’m really curious about you...  
>  >Min-ho: ....  
>  >Min-ho: But V, if you knew about all of this stuff before, then...  
>  V: **Min-ho**  
>  V: Let’s not talk about this in the chatroom  
>  V: I’m sorry, and I understand your distrust  
>  V: I don’t blame you at all  
>  V: You’re a victim  
>  V: You have every right to be suspicious and judge things as you see fit  
>  V: But please, don’t put yourself in danger or work on your own  
>  V: You could get hurt.  
>  V: _**You don’t know what that place is capable of.**_  
>  V: Let’s talk on the phone after, ok?  
>  >Min-ho: You and your secrets... Will you ever give me a straight answer?  
>  V: Min-ho, please...
> 
> **Jumin Han has entered the chatroom.**
> 
> V: Jumin!  
>  >Min-ho: ‘Sup Jumin  
>  Jumin Han: ...Sup  
>  Jumin Han: I see you two were having a heavy conversation.  
>  Jumin Han: ...  
>  Jumin Han: You were fumbling with your phone, V. I was wondering if you were in here.  
>  V: Haha, yeah. I just wanted to see if anyone was on and Min-ho logged in  
>  >Min-ho: How was dinner? Was the food good?  
>  V: Very. We had steak  
>  Jumin Han: I tried to take a picture. Yoosung had called and asked about the food.  
>  Jumin Han: V wouldn’t let me.  
>  V: Really, there was no point.  
>  V: We all know how it would’ve come out.  
>  >Min-ho: ?  
>  V: Jumin’s... not very good at taking photos. At all.  
>  Jumin Han: I wouldn’t say that.  
>  V: I would :)  
>  Jumin Han: You’re a _professional photographer_  
>  V: Anyway, here’s one.

V posted a nicely taken picture of steak. It looked just as good as Ray’s.

> >Min-ho: Expensive. I had steak too!  
>  Jumin Han: ...You’re a victim to this situation. But you’re in a place where you’re served steak...?  
>  >Min-ho: It’s... complicated  
>  V: I’m glad to know you’re eating well.  
>  >Min-ho: Food isn’t my highest priority right now...  
>  V: Of course ^^;  
>  V: I’ll be there soon, just give me time to prepare.  
>  Jumin Han: Though I’d like to ask more questions...  
>  Jumin Han: It seems it isn’t wise to do so at the moment  
>  Jumin Han: If you ever fall into danger Min-ho, I’d hope you tell us  
>  >Min-ho: Yes sir!  
>  Jumin Han: Anyway  
>  Jumin Han: What made you want to have lunch together suddenly, V?  
>  V: You didn’t want to ask me in person?  
>  V: I don’t mind answering up here but...  
>  >Min-ho: Are you two... typing while next to each other?  
>  V: Yes, Jumin’s taking a break before he goes back to work. I’m with him.  
>  Jumin Han: I figured you wanted advice  
>  Jumin Han: That question could be asked later.  
>  V: Right.  
>  V: Well...  
>  V: Isn’t it obvious?  
>  V: It’s been a while since we’ve last seen each other  
>  V: I wanted to see you again ^^  
>  Jumin Han: I see. I feel the same.  
>  Jumin Han: It _has_ been a while. You’d go silent for weeks at a time.  
>  V: Sorry...  
>  >Min-ho: You two are close.  
>  V: Jumin and I are childhood friends  
>  Jumin Han: We’ve known each other since preschool  
>  V: He’s very dear to me  
>  V: As is the rest of the RFA  
>  V: And by extension, you, Min-ho  
>  V: I hope we can come to an understanding someday.  
>  >Min-ho: ...Me too.  
>  >Min-ho: So what were you two like as kids?  
>  V: Ah, that’s embarrassing to tell...  
>  Jumin Han: V was similar to now as a young child.  
>  Jumin Han: Very energetic. We enjoyed playing together.  
>  Jumin Han: His views were completely different though. Talked like artists were a different species. Ironically, he didn’t care for them then.  
>  >Min-ho: Really?  
>  V: Ahaha, yeah. Things were pretty different back then.  
>  V: Jumin was the exact same. Practical, kind, encouraging. Just cuter.  
>  Jumin Han: Kind...?  
>  V: Of course ^^  
>  >Min-ho: I’m imagining a tiny little Jumin in a suit now.  
>  V: I should find that picture...  
>  >Min-ho: Picture?  
>  V: Yes. Um... I have it in my camera roll somewhere. It’s a little cluttered.  
>  Jumin Han: So you still have photos from way back then.  
>  V: Yes.  
>  V: Do you find it strange?  
>  Jumin Han: No, I have a few mementos of my own.  
>  V: That’s nice to hear...  
>  >Min-ho: Haha, it’s nice you two get along so well ^^  
>  V: I suppose it’s because we’ve known each other almost our whole lives  
>  Jumin Han: Yes. We get along just as well now as we did then, even if our talks are less frequent.  
>  V: What about you, Min-ho?  
>  V: What were you like as a child?  
>  >Min-ho: Um...  
>  >Min-ho: Average?  
>  >Min-ho: I was popular. I loved making friends. I liked observing everyone too. People, how they acted...  
>  >Min-ho: That’s why the RFA works so well  
>  >Min-ho: I’ve never corresponded with a werewolf before, but...  
>  >Min-ho: I’m pretty good at reading people. I can tell how they want me to interact.  
>  Jumin Han: You can’t respond like yourself?  
>  >Min-ho: Different people wanna hear different things. Even if they ask for my advice, what they really want is the advice they want to hear. I give it, they say they’ll come!  
>  V: That’s... uh...  
>  V: Well I suppose that’s one way to invite guests.  
>  Jumin Han: Long as it isn’t too deceitful or harmful, I don’t see the problem  
>  Jumin Han: Does that mean you do the same with us?  
>  >Min-ho: Huh? No!  
>  >Min-ho: You’re my friends, I don’t need to lie or anything  
>  V: I’m happy you feel comfortable enough to share about yourself  
>  Jumin Han: Yes. You fit in well.

Min-ho sighed. This conversation lifted a small weight off his chest, but not by much. Ray’s diary still plagued his mind. But it was nice he could talk to Jumin and V to let him gather himself, and they seemed to trust him a lot more, especially Jumin. He was so wary before, so it felt comfortable for him to act so... unguarded. Just a regular chat between three people.

After they spoke a little more and logged off, Min-ho let himself scan the face of the diary’s owner. Ray.

...Ray. Sweet, sleeping Ray.

Ray. Whose trust he betrayed.

The ringing of the phone was welcome.

“...V.” Min-ho held the phone to his ear.

“Min-ho. Today’s been quite the day, huh?”

“Yeah. Guess so.” Min-ho clutched his phone tighter. “What is it?”

“So... about earlier... um... You may be right. There could be more victims there.” V’s sigh was weak. “You were talking about the hacker, weren’t you?”

“Yeah. Do you know him?” Min-ho leaned back in his chair, eyes drawn to the tuff of white hair, then its slightly reddened tips.

“...I won’t answer that. For your sake. But I’d appreciate if you looked after him. I... I’d like to help him as well. He doesn’t think highly of me. It would take some convincing to sway him, and that’s if he doesn’t call the guards. So for now, just keep an eye on him, ok? That’s all I can ask of you.”

“I really don’t get you, V...” Min-ho traced the edge of Ray’s diary while he closed his eyes. “You just love keeping things to yourself. I mean, you managed to hide a whole cult after the RFA from them. For six months? That’s pretty impressive.” Min-ho chuckled, and V gave a nervous laugh of his own.

“Min-ho, I...”

“Calm down. I won’t talk. I can’t, after all.” There was a painfully awkward pause. “V... Your voice is really calming. I like it. So talk to me. I need a distraction.” Min-ho’s fingers were restless, always finding some object to fiddle with.

“Oh, um... I’m leaving C&R right about now. Jumin will soon have a business meeting with my father. They seem to get along well business wise. Although I... I don’t get along too well with him personally.” V admitted, falling quiet. His voice was more broken than usual.

“You want to, don’t you? At least, you don’t like the fact that you two don’t get along. How come?” Min-ho queried, while V‘s voice cut off for a few moments.

“Um... I’m not sure. I used to agree with a lot of what my father says, but now it’s the exact opposite. My father works with art and museums, but he doesn’t have a high opinion of artists so... um... wow. You got me to spill that really easily.” V sounded more astonished than annoyed or mad. Even a little impressed. Min-ho felt a hint of pride at that.

“Jumin said you talked like artists were a different species. So your dad’s like that? The whole disapproving of your career type? You don’t sound mad at him.” Min-ho hummed, his eyes trailing to the ceiling. V was soft, gentle. A very kind and closed off soul, so Min-ho could only guess by the personality he currently knows and audio cues. V sounded far off, like he yearned for something. When it came to parents, there‘s a lot to yearn for.

“I’m not. It’s just... um” V sighed.

V once got along with his father. It could be validation. No, V didn’t mind how others saw him, no matter how awful. It was a lot simpler...

“You want him to accept you. But...” Was V ready for his father to turn leaf? If Min-ho’s parents did the same in a night, he’d be too suspicious to take them seriously.

“Well... I suppose. My father recently said he wanted to visit my gallery. We haven’t talked in so long. Many talks between him and I are stiff now... But I think he just wants to use my relationship with Jumin to improve business.” V spoke up, and Min-ho could only send his condolences.

“That’s cruel. You’re not a tool. But if you really wanna get along with him, I hope you can someday. It’d be sad to go your whole life without ever reconciling.” Min-ho’s own advice hit a little too close to home.

“Whole life... When you put it like that, it does sound a bit sad. Life’s short. Never seeing the day my father and I get along would be a waste.” The short pause V took held a deep sorrow. “...I believe life should be spent on the things that are meaningful to you. Even if it seems useless to others, if you don’t think it’s a waste... then it’s worth putting your time into. What do you think, Min-ho?” V asked, and Min-ho bit back a chuckle. Seemed like V was the type to ask thought-provoking questions whenever it crossed his mind.

“...I just want to spend time doing the things I enjoy. Because one day, I might not get to, so I should do it for as long as it makes me happy.” Min-ho took a small glance around the room, his eyes falling onto the back of a man taking steady breaths. “...But I want to make other people happy too.”

“Happiness invokes joy. It’s good for everyone involved.” V’s voice sounded much brighter, his tone soft and flighty. “I think a life spent doing what you love with the people you love is most fulfilling, whether that involves family, friends, or lovers. Making others happy is a big part of that.” V let out a little ‘oh’, his voice much more normal now. “Ah, sorry, I spoke a lot, didn’t I?”

“It’s fine. I wanted to hear you talk. I like hearing you talk.” Min-ho let his eyes wander from Ray elsewhere. He liked V’s smile too. And the rest of the RFA’s. He’d like to see everyone happy. Not just them, but his other friends too. His family. But that was a pretty big feat, and he was only one person. “I’m happy talking to you.”

“Ah... um... Thank you. I feel the same. I’m really curious about your opinions. It’s not often I find someone willing to indulge me with questions like this. I just end up confusing the others sometimes, haha...” V laughed.

Min-ho understood. Questions like those were usually hard to answer on the spot, but V always seemed to have an answer. Maybe it’s because V spent so long thinking. He seems like the kind to know everything about himself, down to his deepest, hidden desires.

“No surprise there. If you wanna talk, I’m all ears. I don’t think I’ve got an answer for everything, but I’ll try to answer any questions you’ve got.” Min-ho scratched his head, looking down. “V. Don’t evade me next time, okay?”

“...I’m sorry for putting all this burden on you. And I’m sorry you had to get involved with any of this. I don’t want to see you hurt.” V whispered, his voice strained. “Remember everything I told you, ok?”

“I know. I’m not a kid, V.” Min-ho smiled.

“I’m well aware. I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just care, is all.” They went quiet for a minute. It was comfortable this time, warm. “I’m about to get in the car, so I should go. Let’s talk again.”

“Yeah. Later:” Min-ho’s face softened while he hung up. How was he supposed to stay mad at V when he was so sweet and cared so much? Well, Min-ho could interrogate him tomorrow. He liked talking to V as a friend, too. He was a lot different from anyone else Min-ho’s ever met. V liked talking about deep subjects, things that make you think and that people normally shied away from in favor of the everyday topics. He liked to prod at people for their opinions too, for he was very open-minded. Definitely one of the more interesting friends Min-ho‘s made.

V and Jumin were the same age, but showed it in completely different ways. It was charming to see how they got along despite being so, so different. It was nice to see how the entire RFA got along, mostly. It’s only been a few days, but it was easy to map out their personalities and relationships with one another (save for they and V, for he hardly showed himself). Ray’s notebook merely confirmed his deductions.

While his mind wandered, his alarm went off. That time already? He read and talked way longer than he meant to.

Ray shifted at the alarm. “Mmm... Min-ho...?” He rolled over and glanced at Min-ho, movements languid and eyes clouded. Ray yawned, his eyes landing on the table, right where his diary was.

There was silence.

Ray looked up, much calmer than Min-ho expected. “Did you read it?”

Min-ho nodded.

“Is this why you wanted me to sleep?” Ray sat up, stretching his arms. His movements were sluggish but his voice was raspy. While it could be alluded to sleep, there was a slight edge to it that poked Min-ho.

He shook his head. “I just wanted you to get some more rest. I didn’t expect to find a diary or anything. I... I’m sorry I read it. Kind of. You _did_ kidnap me.” And maybe that was more of an excuse for Min-ho’s piece of mind, but without a good defense he felt like nothing more than a hypocrite.

“I see...” Ray crawled out the bed, slipping his magenta coat over his shoulders and slipping on shoes. The movements were practiced with precision and took no more than a few seconds, a result of his schedule, no doubt. Anything Ray could minimize and receive more free time from, Ray would do.

“...Hey Ray. Did it ever occur to you that you’re being manipulated? By the Savior?” Min-ho asked suddenly, though Ray’s exasperation was fully expected. He paused to look up at Min-ho.

“Of course not. I’m happy to work for her. She gives me purpose.” Ray’s closed his eyes, response robotic. His eyes were steel, and Min-ho knew testing his loyalty was out of the question.

“Not giving you food, forcing you to work when you’re exhausted. I don’t know how anyone could call someone like her a Savior.” Min-ho laughed, dry. Ray didn’t take amusement.

“I work of my own will. Savior offers paradise in turn. Compared to the life I lived, I have no reason to complain.”

“You really call this paradise?” Min-ho looked at his door. Guards stood on either side. Further down the hall there was a locked elevator and stairway. Guards kept watch of the building and worked for the Savior like obedient ants to their queen.

“Of course. And I’d like you to stay. I’d love for you to stay in paradise.” Ray stepped forward, he always did when he got passionate. Min-ho refused to let himself be swayed by those gentle yet fiery eyes of his.

“Drugged up so your Savior can work me to death and hurt the RFA? No thanks.” Min-ho put a hand on Ray’s head, resisting the itch to run fingers through Ray’s combed locks. Ray peeked up through pink lashes, the remnants of yawn-induced tears stuck to them. Mint and light pink were a beautiful combination.

“We have no intention of hurting any—“

“You’re lying. You’d probably hurt V. Or Seven. V’s important to all of this somehow. But then again, so’s the entire RFA.” Min-ho stood up a little straighter. He put a hand to Ray’s cheek and brushed a thumb over it. He couldn’t say why, he just felt a serious conversation was easier when they were able to make close physical contact, when Min-ho could feel Ray’s soft cheeks on his palm. Ray trembled under the touch like before, but his poise implied he had no intention of moving.

“What is it you’re looking for, Min-ho? I can think of a few things... Would you tell me?” Ray tilted his head into Min-ho’s palm, closing his eyes when Min-ho gave into his urge and combed his fingers through Ray’s hair. It was slightly rough under his fingers, almost sandy. Ray must’ve bleached it recently, but he took care of it well.

“I want to help you. And I want to leave this place, with you. Ray, you’re being drugged. They’re just using you. Exploiting what a nice guy you are.” Min-ho’s eyes may not have that same fire Ray can produce, but he had a kindness to them. A softness that made people want to trust him and he damn well knew it. No better time to try it than now.

“Is that what you think?” Ray sighed, turning his head so his lips rested against Min-ho’s palm. He did his best to not let his stance waver, but he forgot to hold back his gasp when Ray kissed his palm and held his lips there. Ray raised his hand to cover Min-ho’s, squeezing the back while he almost purred under Min-ho’s fingers going through his hair and tickling his ears.

“I’d bet on it. You’re a smart guy, way smarter than me, so you’ve gotta have some idea of where I’m coming from. You don’t have to worry about the outside world, or about making her happy, or about being useful. I’m here.” With each pet of Ray’s hair, the line was blurred as to Min-ho’s feelings on him. Victim. Min-ho’s used this word to describe himself the entire time. Everyone has.

But what of Ray? He was even more of a victim that Min-ho could ever be.

“...You remind me of her. The Savior. You have that same gentle, kind air about you. That same perception of people.” Ray murmured against Min-ho’s palm.

Min-ho flinched. He’d like to think it was due to Ray’s lips and not the comparison.

_The Savior...?_

“But you’re different. I can’t tell how just yet. I think it’s your intuition, how you read people... You might be more dangerous than V.” Ray never let Min-ho avert his gaze while he grasped his hand and pulled it from his face, pressing soft lips to the back of it. Min-ho’s fingers twitched when a thrill ran through him. “I like you, Min-ho.“

Were those words said even a few hours earlier, Min-ho would’ve felt some kind of shock, maybe he’d even gasp. He’d find excitement running through him, or maybe he’d feel nothing but a faint glow in his chest. But now, those words meant nothing to him.

“Does that mean you’ll come with me?” Min-ho let his eyes crinkle in ask. Ray really was naive, but he was only human. Maybe one day he’d learn what it was like to really like someone. Even love.

“...I have to get to work. Thank you for letting me use your bed. It was easier to sleep with you there.” Ray pulled away, like so many times before, and Min-ho dropped his hand because any attempt at getting Ray to stay was fruitless. Not with that look in his eye, that defeated look that said he couldn’t stay a second longer without breaking down.

He grabbed his diary, made sure everything was in place, and left, goodbyes wasted.

_“I like you, Min-ho.”_

Min-ho slowly brought his palm to his face and kissed where Ray’s lips had been.

Did he like Ray? Now that Min-ho could argue Ray was exploited and drugged into submission, he had no real reason to hate or antagonize him. But what Ray felt for him was an idealistic love, like loving your idol while seeing them on TV and interviews but never knowing them truly. Or love at first sight when you’ve never spoken a word to one another. Nothing but liking the idea of a person, not the person for who they are.

Min-ho wasn’t really sure. He liked Ray. He liked V too. He liked the entire RFA and all his friends. But did he _like_ Ray?

When he thought more of that, V popped into his mind and his brain couldn’t keep up with both images of them jumping through his head.

It didn’t matter how he felt. His top priority was escaping, hopefully now with Ray and V. Then, maybe, they can shut this whole thing down and save everyone else. But if it were so easy, V would’ve done so by now, right...?

Min-ho fell into his chair, face in his hands, elbows on the table. Happiness. That was what he and V talked about. Happiness invokes joy. Seeing Ray happy would make Min-ho happy. So would V. And Seven and Jaehee and Yoosung. And Jumin and Zen. Really, Min-ho just wanted to see everyone happy.

If things kept going the way they were, Min-ho feared their smiles would be snatched from them all too soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 90% of this chapter wasn’t planned and kinda just happened. This is what happens when you let characters guide the story lol
> 
> This little development makes me think the branch might happen sooner than I expected. Oops ^^;


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